Right Now
by Ksue
Summary: Betrayal has a way of bringing people together.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N 1: My one-shot "Sit With Me Tonight" is meant to be a prologue of sorts to this.**

**Chapter 1**

The hour or so just before dawn was Payson's favorite time of day; the air was cool and crisp, the birds were just starting to chirp, and there was a hum in the air, a certain kind of energy that promised all sorts of potential in the new day ahead. There was a magic to it, the same kind of magic she found when she was soaring through the air on the bars.

The Rock loomed ahead of her and she lengthened her stride. It was her first day back at the Rock since she won Worlds four weeks ago. First, she'd taken two weeks of absolute rest so that her ankle would heal quickly. Then, the Healthy Bar people had asked her to shoot several print ads and commercials. Finally, MJ had taken her on a bit of a whirl-wind tour of companies that wanted her face associated with their products. She now had an endorsement package that made her one of the top ten wealthiest teens in the United States. The good thing was that it meant her family's financial troubles were over. The bad thing was that she would have to take at least one four day weekend every month to spend pacifying her employers. Missing three days of training each month in the year leading up to the Olympics had her less than thrilled.

She stopped just outside the main door and braced her hands on her knees, leaning over just a little bit to catch her breath. She'd clearly beaten Sasha, his motorcycle was nowhere in sight, but she knew he wouldn't be long so she took the opportunity to sit down and rest. Her ankle throbbed a little bit, the way a not-100% healed injury sometimes did and she crossed her other leg beneath her to elevate it. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the glass doors and started to visualize changes she wanted to make to her routines.

"I want ice on that ankle for ten minutes before you start," Sasha said from somewhere very close to her. Payson jumped, her eyes snapping open to look straight into his icy blue ones. A glance behind him showed that his motorcycle was still nowhere to be found, but there was a huge silver truck in the parking lot, just like his old one.

"Where's your motorcycle?" Payson asked. Sasha held his hands out to her and she took them, letting him lift her to her feet and ignoring the way his hands lingered just a little longer than they probably should have. He waved her out of the way and unlocked the door, holding it open for her.

"I got my truck back," he said. Payson frowned.

"From where? Didn't you sell it?"

"I left it with Marty. I hadn't had time to drive down to Denver before this weekend." Payson wondered if that was him admitting he'd never meant to stay away forever.

"What about the Airstream?"

"I rented an apartment," he muttered, sounding unenthused. Payson clapped a hand to her mouth, stifling a giggle. "What?"

"I just can't imagine you not living in the Airstream." Sasha grumbled something she couldn't make out.

As per his instructions, Payson went straight for the couch in the office and sat down, propping her foot up on the table before her. Sasha grabbed a bag of ice from the freezer he kept by his desk and gingerly situated it over her ankle.

"Welcome home, by the way," Sasha said softly, sitting down to work while they waited. Payson smiled and sank back into the soft leather cushions.

"It's good to be back."

Sasha reached forward and pressed the play button on the office answering machine. It gave a long beep before playing through several messages, all of which Sasha seemed to ignore. Then Payson heard Summer's voice.

"Sasha, I just wanted to thank you for the way you handled the situation with Lauren…"

His hand shot forward so quickly, Payson almost missed it. He pressed the stop button and silence filled the room again. Payson waited, watching his face for any sign of what had just happened.

"What was that about?"

"Nothing," Sasha said quickly, without looking up. Payson narrowed her eyes, not believing him.

"Okay," she snorted, shifting her ice. "Can I go?"

Sasha looked up at her, his forehead knit into a frown.

"Yes, of course," he said distractedly. Payson eyed him on her way out to the floor. There was something he was deliberately hiding from her, and she didn't like it. She thought they'd had a breakthrough in Rio, when they had acknowledged their feelings without actually acknowledging them. This, though, felt like a step back, like he was back to shutting her out and ignoring her.

Payson couldn't stop thinking about the incident in the office, even as she started working through circuits. An extra hour of strength and conditioning every morning, and an extra hour of skills every evening was going to ensure her at least one gold medal in London. Since she obviously wasn't going to be able to put Sasha out of her mind, she channeled her frustration into her workout.

Slowly, other gymnasts started trickling in and Payson was forced to abandon her early workout. When Kaylie walked in, she shrieked, running to Payson and throwing her arms around her.

"I'm so happy you're back!" Kaylie smiled broadly. "For weeks it's just been me and Lauren and she's driving me crazy."

Payson laughed. Only Kaylie and Lauren could be best friends, that week anyway, and still drive each other so crazy. Shortly after that, Lauren bounced in. Her eyes landed on Payson and Kaylie and she hurried over.

"Pay!" Lauren swept her into a hug that she only half-heartedly returned. Then Austin sailed in and Payson glanced behind him, waiting for Max to appear. They'd only spoken a handful of times since Worlds, mostly the week following, because their schedules had become so hectic.

"Where's Max?" Payson asked Austin, catching his eye as he made his way over to the group. Payson didn't miss the way his fingers brushed against Kaylie, their hands entwining for just the briefest moment.

"Let's go for a walk, Keeler," Austin suggested gently. Payson's frown deepened as she glanced up at the office. Sasha was standing in the window, watching them, and he gave her a small nod. She followed Austin outside, leaving Kaylie and Lauren to stare after her pityingly. She hated being pitied.

"Austin, you're scaring me," Payson said as he led her across the parking lot to the small park on the other side. It wasn't very big, more like a median between the parking lot and the road, but it was large enough that they often ate lunch there. Sometimes the boys played Ultimate Frisbee.

"Payson," Austin started. He hesitated and Payson huffed in frustration.

"Out with it, Tucker." Austin stalled a little longer by running his hand through his hair and then reaching into his back pocket for an envelope.

"Max defected to Denver. He asked me to give you this, I guess it's supposed to explain everything." Austin handed her the envelope. Payson stared at it, wondering how she was supposed to feel. She'd sort of assumed that they were dating, together, whatever, after Worlds. But they had hardly spoken, and she didn't really care. It didn't hurt the way it had when she'd gone so long without really speaking to Sasha.

"Thanks, Austin," Payson muttered. He left, presumably to give her space to read the letter. She turned it over in her hand a few times, wondering whether she wanted to read it or not, before tearing it open and pulling out the notebook paper.

As she read, she decided she was glad that he'd left. His life was obviously very complicated, and she didn't need the distraction that was sure to bring less than a year out from the Olympics. Crumpling the letter, she threw it away and marched back into the Rock.

#

"Sasha, please," Summer begged. There was a time when Sasha would have loved hearing those words come out of her mouth, although admittedly his fantasies did not have her sitting across from him in the office when they did. Those desires, however, were long gone. Even if he and Summer had been able to overcome their differences, he'd seen too much of her hypocrisy now to ever want her again.

"Payson needs to know, Summer, and she needs to know now," Sasha insisted. "I was willing to let it go while she was away, but now that she's back…"

"Think about what this could do to the team," Summer urged.

"You mean think about what it could do to Lauren?" Sasha snapped. Summer blinked at him, frowning in that condescending, holier-than-thou way that she always did and it made his heart hammer against his chest. His fingers gripped the arms of his chair until his knuckles were white as he tried not to scream at the woman sitting across from him.

"She's sorry, Sasha," Summer promised. Sasha snorted, shaking his head.

"I don't believe that she is. Lauren's biggest problem is that no one, not you, not Steve, and not me, has ever held her accountable for her decisions. Well, that changes today. It's time for her to realize that there are serious consequences for serious actions. She's going to tell Payson today, or I will," Sasha said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Summer collapsed against the back of her chair, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Will you please let Lauren know that I'll expect her decision by this afternoon?" Sasha said shortly. He was done with the conversation and done with Summer. She, apparently, wasn't. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing and opened her mouth.

"You could have warned me." It wasn't Summer growling at him, it was Payson. She stood in the doorway, her face flushed and angry, until she saw Summer sitting before her. He watched her forehead crinkle in a frown. "Summer."

"Payson, good morning. Do you need to speak to Sasha? I'll just leave you to it." Sasha stifled a laugh as Summer jumped to her feet and hurried from the office. While Payson watched Summer cross the floor to talk to Lauren, Sasha watched Payson. She looked fantastic, not that he could tell her that, and he always loved her a little more when she was angry. He sighed.

"He asked me not to," Sasha said. Payson jumped and turned back to him.

"What?" she asked.

"You said that I could have warned you. Max asked me not to, although I assumed he was going to tell you himself," Sasha said with disdain. That punk had run off like a coward from someone he was lucky to even have shared a room with. Payson's features softened immediately and she gave a dismissive little wave.

"It's fine." She looked down at the floor, hovering like she didn't want to leave but felt she should. With a sigh, Sasha stood and crossed the room, stopping just in front of her, probably closer than he should have allowed himself.

He knew that he was crossing a dangerous line, but she looked so vulnerable in that moment he couldn't help himself. He reached out and brushed the backs of his fingers over the smooth silkiness of her cheeks until she looked up at him from beneath her long lashes. He was dying to kiss her, to see if her lips were as soft and warm as he remembered. As soon as their eyes locked, Sasha turned his hand over to cup her cheek.

"You deserve so much more than Max Spencer," he whispered, leaning in close. He allowed himself only a moment before he stepped back and returned firmly to the role of coach. "Now back to work."

#

By the end of the day, Sasha wanted nothing more than a stiff drink. Lauren had flatly refused to tell Payson anything, so the job fell to him and though he wouldn't admit it to anyone, he hated Lauren a little bit for being such a coward. But he was a good coach, at least he hoped he was, and he could put that aside to help her get to the Olympics.

He still wasn't sure how exactly he was going to go about telling Payson that one of her best friends had betrayed her. What he needed was to talk to Kim, let her guide him in the right direction, because as well as he knew Payson, Kim was her mother. Kim always knew what to do.

"Goodnight, Sasha!" Payson voice floated up from the floor. As quickly as he could manage, he moved to the platform outside the office.

"Payson," he said. She stopped in her tracks and turned to him, smiling that soft, calm smile that always set his stomach in knots. "I'm actually going to drop by your house in a bit, will you let your mother know?"

Her eyes flashed with something; disapproval, suspicion, and a little bit of anger. He knew that she understood he was hiding something from her, how could she not after the way he'd covered up Summer's voicemail? His heart stalled in his chest, he hated to lie to her.

"She's here to pick me up, why don't you just talk to her now?" Payson asked, watching him. Sasha could practically feel her trying to figure him out, trying to read in his eyes exactly what he was keeping from her.

Sasha nodded. He'd wanted a little more time to prepare what he was going to say to Kim, but she was here now. The sooner, the better he supposed.

"Yes. Send her in?" Payson nodded and disappeared through the doors.

Sasha went back into the office, pulling a bottle of Scotch from the bottom drawer of his desk. He hadn't touched that particular bottle since before he left for Romania, but this occasion certainly called for it. Grabbing a tumbler, he poured two fingers worth of Scotch into the glass and then took a healthy sip just as Kim appeared in the doorway.

"Uh oh," she said, sinking into the seat that Summer had occupied earlier.

"What?" Sasha asked, grimacing as he always did after his first swallow of the bitter, burning liquid.

"You're drinking Scotch in the office, Sasha, that can't mean good things," Kim said with an uneasy smile. Sasha stared into his glass, letting the silence hang between them. There was no easy way for him to tell her. He ran through different wording in his mind, different ways to ease her into the confession, but nothing felt right.

He took another sip of Scotch, closing his eyes against the burn.

"The video of Payson…and I," he started, swirling the Scotch around the bottom of his glass and doing anything to avoid looking Kim in the eye. "Lauren sent it."

Finally he risked a glance at Kim's face, just as all the color drained away. She looked white, like she might be sick, and her eyes were wide and unfocused.

"What?" she muttered. Sasha nodded.

"She refuses to tell Payson. Kim," he said, emotion choking him as he thought about how Payson would be affected. "I don't know what to do."

"She needs to know, Sasha, and it needs to come from you," Kim said. Sasha sighed. He had known that would be her response, though some part of him was hoping she would at least offer to do it.

"When?" he asked.

"Now. It will only be worse if you wait," Kim promised. "Just…get it over with. I'll leave you two alone, bring her home when you're done."

Kim stood to leave, but faltered when something on the wall behind him caught her eye. He watched as her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyes narrowed. Turning to see which one it was, he found three girls staring back at him; Lauren, Payson, and Kaylie with their arms around each other, all looking very young. They looked happy.

"That was taken right after we moved here. Lauren and Kaylie welcomed Payson with open arms and she was so happy. She's always been shy, but those two seemed to bring her out of it. They were best friends," Kim said, a note of sadness in her voice.

"I know," Sasha muttered.

"This could ruin the team," Kim pointed out. Sasha snorted. As if he didn't know.

"I know."

"I'll send Payson in." She left without another word and silence fell over the gym once more. Sasha could hardly believe that just an hour ago the air had been filled with the sounds of Payson working through her routines, building a base to work with for the Olympics. The rhythmic slap of her feet against the mats was a sound he hadn't realized he missed until today.

She appeared in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes hard. One look into those stormy pools of blue and he knew that she understood something bad was coming, had felt it building all day.

"Should I be scared?" Payson asked, not at all playfully. Sasha gestured to her mother's chair and she sank into it, her eyes never leaving his as he came around the desk, leaning against it so that there was no furniture between them. It had nothing to do with the fact that he seemed to draw strength from her mere presence, the conversation they were about to have required close quarters. They were in it together.

"Payson, I found out who sent the video of us to Ellen Beals," he said slowly. Her eyes flashed as she leaned forward.

"Who," she demanded. All the fear had left her face as anger colored her cheeks. He knew the signs of Payson on a war path, and for a moment he almost pitied Lauren.

"Payson," he started. He knew he was going to have to ease her into the information, so he spoke slowly and clearly. There would be no mistaking his words. "It was Lauren."

Confusion knit her brows together.

"Lauren who?" Payson asked, like she didn't know anyone by that name. Sasha reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. The lines he was crossing didn't matter in this moment, not when he was about to shatter one of the most important relationships in her life. She deserved any strength he could offer her. For an instant, her fingers tightened around his.

"You know who, Payson," Sasha said carefully, watching for her reaction. She stood up quickly, nearly knocking the chair backwards, and wrenched her fingers from his grasp. She shook her head violently, like she could force herself to un-hear the words.

"No. Lauren has done a lot of really crappy things but she wouldn't…she wouldn't do that," Payson insisted. Sasha looked at the floor.

"She wanted Summer and I to break up," he said. That alone made him feel like it was partly his fault, he knew better than to get involved with the gym moms, or step moms, or whatever Summer was. It always ended badly, and if he had remembered himself, if he'd had more self control, they wouldn't be in the mess to begin with. Payson laughed; high pitched and hysterical.

"This is a joke," she said, shifting from foot to foot like an animal ready to bolt. Sasha stood up and moved in front of her, taking her by the shoulders and stopping to look her in the eye. He'd never seen her so agitated, her eyes so wild.

"It's not, Payson."

He watched as the hysteria in her eyes died, replaced with nothing, leaving them dull and flat. It was disconcerting to see the girl who had always been so passionate become so lifeless. Even at her most focused, her most still and stoic, Sasha had always been able to find that sparkle in her eyes.

Payson's entire body went still. At a loss for what to do, Sasha pulled her into a tight hug, crushing her against his chest. She didn't return the embrace. The only sign of life was the hard beat of her heart against his chest.

"I have to go," Payson muttered after a long moment. She pried herself out of his arms and walked slowly out the door, not waiting for him to follow. He wasn't sure she was even aware of him at that point.

As quickly as he could Sasha grabbed his keys and raced after her, afraid that she would walk right into traffic if he didn't keep an eye on her. He hadn't expected her reaction; screaming, violence, cursing, all of that had run through his mind when he imagined telling her about Lauren's betrayal, but not this. Not a complete shutdown.

"Payson!" he called. "I'll drive you home." He opened the passenger door of the truck, waiting for her. Payson stopped at his words and turned her head to look at him. The dullness in her eyes scared him more than anything else, except maybe the vision of her crashing to the floor.

"No, I…I don't want to go home." Sasha sighed heavily as she lifted herself into the seat. He had only one thought, but he'd already crossed so many lines and Payson didn't deserve to have him cross another one. Her image, her career, was already tainted because he'd crossed a line but he'd never seen Payson so outside of herself, so lifeless, and if she didn't want to go home, he wouldn't make her. Lines be damned.

"Why don't I show you my new place?" He asked. Her only acknowledgement was a nod as she stared at the floorboards.

They drove in silence, nearly all the way there. It was the only time Sasha had ever felt truly uncomfortable around Payson. Just before they turned into his complex, he heard her sniff and his heart broke for her. He knew what it was like to be betrayed by a best friend, but at least he had halfway deserved it. Payson had done nothing to deserve Lauren's actions, she was collateral damage.

He eased his truck into park just outside his door and then scrambled around to the passenger side, barely catching Payson as she nearly fell out of the truck, her face red and blotchy with tears. His heart pounded and he had half a mind to take her home, but the way she clutched at his waist put that though out of his head as he led her inside.

"Payson," he whispered into her hair as he shut the front door behind them. Payson shook in his arms as she sucked in a breath.

"She was my friend!" Payson sobbed, the words tearing themselves out of her throat.

"I know," he whispered. Payson's sobs were wracking her entire body and she sagged against him, like the weight of Lauren's betrayal was too much. Sasha slipped an arm beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the couch and sitting down with her in his lap, rocking her gently as she cried into his chest.

They didn't speak. Sasha knew that she didn't need words, she needed the strength he could provide by just being there. So instead of trying to figure out what to say, he concentrated on the feel of her; the heat of her tears seeping through his shirt, she tickle of her hair against his cheek, the weight of her leaning into his chest. He allowed himself to relish in it, in a way that he normally wouldn't. He closed his eyes, imagining for just a moment that she wasn't his gymnast, that she wasn't seventeen, and that they were just two people in love. Almost immediately he felt guilty, not because it was wrong though that was also a leading thought, but because he was being selfish. Payson's heart was breaking as he rocked her and all he could think about was the future.

"Sasha," Payson whispered, shifting so that she could look at him. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, the skin around them puffy.

"Hmm?" Sasha asked, reaching up to smooth a hand over her hair.

"I don't want to go home."

The implication in her voice was clear and it made Sasha's breath catch in his throat. His arms tightened around her. This was a very dangerous situation for him to be in, but the pleading in her eyes arrested him, stopped him from denying her. He would give her the world if he could.

Shifting her so that she was seated beside him, he stood up and reached for the phone.

"I'll call your mother."

**A/N 2: Yay for more P/S fics! I promise I'm not abandonning WYHWT, but this had been itching to get out for a while now and who am I to deny my muse? And be warned, Payson and Sasha will get together, but it won't be for a little while yet and it certainly won't be easy. Compared to For You, the World, this fic will be a little...darker if you will. Or maybe more realistic is the term, I don't know.**

**Anyway, leave me some love, let me know what you thought! What do you all think is coming for our characters? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sasha sat, shoulders hunched and elbows on his knees, watching the blonde beauty sleeping fitfully on his couch. A quick glance at the clock told him it was nearly ten; that meant she'd cried into his chest for over an hour, raged against the unfairness of it all and cursed Lauren's very existence. He could still feel the wet spots on his t-shirt.

He was still so very lost. Though he liked to think that he knew Payson better than almost anyone, but she was very much a teenage girl, and he never had been. He knew how he would have handled the situation the next day; he'd punch his betrayer right in the mouth, they would fight it out for a few minutes, and then they would either stop speaking to each other or they would go back to normal. He had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple between Payson and Lauren.

Of course, he knew what his role in all of it would be. Outside the walls of his apartment he was not allowed to have a personal opinion on the matter; he was the coach and it was his job to make sure that the drama to come between Payson and Lauren didn't infect the rest of the gym. It would be nearly impossible, he knew, but he had to try.

There was a soft knock at the door. The sound made Payson stir and groan, turning onto her side and burying her face into the couch cushions, probably trying to stave off the waking world for as long as possible.

Sasha stood slowly, taking his time in answering the door. He and Payson had spent the evening locked in the warm cocoon of his apartment, where the outside world didn't matter and they weren't coach and athlete, just two people working through betrayal of the worst kind. He wasn't eager to break that spell.

"Hey, Sasha," Kim whispered when he finally opened the door. Her eyes immediately went to her daughter, softening with sadness and regret. Sasha followed her gaze for just a moment.

"Kim," he replied with a nod. "I'm sorry.."

"Don't you dare apologize, Sasha Belov. I'm glad you're here for her right now; she needs you, you're the only one who really understands what this feels like," Kim said, so forcefully Sasha found himself leaning away from her.

"I'll just wake her," Sasha muttered, eager for an excuse to move away from Kim. She reached out for his arm, stopping him in his tracks with just the lightest touch.

"Don't, she deserves some rest. Do you think you could carry her down to the car for me?" Kim explained. Sasha swallowed harshly, but nodded. He moved to the couch, pausing to stare down at Payson, to memorize the curve of her shoulder and the slope of her hips, the steady rise and fall of her chest as she slept. His allowed his gaze to linger for a moment on the tiny sliver of skin peeking out from beneath her shirt, the scars on her back just barely visible in the dim light, until he remembered that Kim was in the room.

Giving himself a mental shake, he knelt down and worked his arms beneath Payson's knees and shoulders, lifting her only once he was sure his grip was secure. Her head lolled against his chest and one of her hands fisted into the material of his shirt, like she knew that in a moment Kim would be taking her away.

As quietly as he could, Sasha followed Kim down to the car. Payson's body radiated heat, like a warming blanket against the chill of the night air and Sasha found himself holding her a little tighter.

Carefully, he settled her in the passenger seat and pulled the seatbelt across her body. Payson shifted in the seat, curling herself up like a cat and still blissfully unaware. Sasha smoothed a hand over her hair.

"Vise plăcute, dragostea mea," he whispered. Kim laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze, and he turned to her.

"Thank you, Sasha," Kim said. She rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek before getting into the car and driving away.

#

_Please,__let it have been a dream._ That was Payson's first thought when she awoke to the harsh sound of her alarm clock. Her eyes felt gritty from all the crying and her face was still puffy, like she'd had some sort of allergic reaction. It was the first time she could ever remember not wanting to go to the gym, unless you counted the time she spent unable to train because of her broken back, which Payson didn't. Instead, she found herself wanting to roll over and sleep for a few more days, drift back into that dreamland where Lauren wasn't a backstabbing bitch and Sasha wasn't nearly fifteen years older than her.

"Payson, you up?" Kim called through the door.

"Yeah," Payson called back. Too late to go back to sleep now. Besides, Payson knew that if she didn't go into the gym and face Lauren, it would only make things worse. At least Sasha would be there, at least he would understand.

Reluctantly, she rolled out of bed and pulled on her favorite training leo, purple with a black boat neck, before throwing on sweats and tennis shoes. Wandering into the kitchen, she avoided her mother's eyes and ignored the "Oh, Payson," that escaped from her lips, grabbing a Grrl Bar for breakfast. She was running mostly on autopilot, afraid that if she allowed herself to be emotionally present she would fall apart, so she focused on the new routines she wanted to take to the Olympic Trials instead.

It seemed unreal that the next big event for her was the Olympic Trials. Sure, there would be a few exhibitions and Nationals, but those were almost formalities; Payson was the World Champion, she had earned a spot at the Trials no matter how well or poorly she performed at the other upcoming events.

"Payson," Kim started, pity dripping from each syllable she spoke.

"I'm fine, Mom," Payson said quickly. She wanted her to stop talking, to stop trying to draw her thoughts back to Lauren's betrayal. Kim sighed, but she didn't say anything more. Payson knew her silence wouldn't last forever, but for now it was a welcome respite.

"I think I'll run to the Rock again," Payson said, making sure her ponytail was secure.

"Honey…" Kim started. Payson finally looked up to meet her eyes, silently begging Kim to give her that alone time. Blowing out a breath, Kim nodded. "Okay. I'll bring your bag in a little while."

"Thanks, Mom," Payson said. And then she was moving towards the door.

Besides actually being on an apparatus, running was the only thing that let Payson completely shut down her brain. While her feet were smacking the pavement, nothing else mattered; not the throb in her ankle, not the ache in her heart. None of it.

Unlike the morning before, Sasha was already there when Payson ran up to the front doors, pushing through them like they were the finish line. He was working out on the rings, his chest bare and shining with sweat, his arms shaking as they held his body parallel to the floor. Payson couldn't help but stare at the cut of his muscles, the contour of his body. She felt something flutter low in her stomach as he moved, throwing himself into a dismount and wincing at the impact, sagging a little to spare his knee.

He looked up and his eyes found hers.

"You too, huh?" Payson asked, jerking her chin at the bars. His gaze traveled down the length of her body slowly, making her shiver, and then back up to hers and he nodded.

"Yeah," he said. There was a pause when the very air itself froze; Payson felt like there was something there, something hanging between them and begging to be said, but neither of them could do it.

"You okay?" Sasha asked, his eyes drilling into hers. "And don't lie to me." Payson shrugged, looking at the floor.

"I don't know. I keep hoping…I keep wishing it was a dream."

And then Sasha was in front of her, close enough that his toes were nearly touching hers and she could feel the heat radiating from his body. Or maybe it was from hers, reflecting off of his. Either way, the space between them was like a furnace. His finger came up beneath her chin, lifting her face until she was staring straight into his eyes.

"We'll get through this, together, okay?" he said, his voice hoarse. Payson nodded slowly, frozen to the spot by the intensity in his eyes. His thumb ghosted over the end of her chin and Payson thought he swayed a little closer, but before she could decide if he had or hadn't, he dropped his hand and took a few steps back. "How's your ankle?"

"Sore, but I can train," Payson said. The charge between them had finally snapped, releasing them back into reality.

"Good, but I want you focusing on bars today. The less impact your ankle has to endure this week, the better," Sasha said, glancing at the floor.

"Okay," Payson said. She toed off her tennis shoes, tossing them into the corner where her bag would go when Kim came in. Her sweats followed quickly, and she thought she felt Sasha's eyes linger on her as she removed them, but when she looked up again his eyes were trained on a point above her head.

"Good. Get to work, I'll be in the office if you need me," he said, his voice a little strangled.

Payson took her time chalking up, relishing in the quiet stillness that fell over the gym. A full gym was a loud gym, which meant that all she could ever hear was the sounds of other people; but when the gym was empty, when it was just her and whatever apparatus she was on, she could fully experience it. She could hear the sound of her grips scraping against the fiberglass bars, the whoosh of her body slicing through the air, the clang of the bars as she transitioned from one to the other. There was nothing like it.

She was halfway through a mindless routine, one her body knew by instinct, when the doors slammed open and gymnasts poured in.

Lauren's voice rose among all the other as she and Kaylie laughed about something. The sight of Lauren's impeccable braids, flawless make-up, and cold, shrewd eyes startled Payson and she lost her grip. She wasn't prepared for the emotion that slammed through her at the sight of her very own Brutus. Her feet hit the mat with a sharp smack and she fell to her knees, unprepared for the contact.

Kaylie and Lauren stopped in their tracks, staring at her.

"Pay, are you okay?" Kaylie asked, glancing at Lauren before making her way over. Lauren approached much more slowly, eyeing Payson warily the whole way.

"I'm fine," Payson mumbled. Kaylie reached out to help her up but Payson shook her hand away and stomped back to the low bar, staring it down and the reaching out and jumping into it. Her grips hit the bar with a sharp smack and she pushed herself up into a handstand, her body perfectly, rigidly straight and her legs held tightly together.

"God, what crawled up her butt?" Lauren asked as she and Kaylie moved towards the beam to stretch. The words reached Payson's ears and white hot rage flooded through her.

She fell again.

"Damn it!" She cried, slapping her hands against the mat. Everyone in the now full gym stopped to stare. It wasn't like Payson to lose her cool during training, and she could feel the ripple of unease spreading through the crowd. She took a deep breath, held the air in her lungs until she counted to ten and then let it out again, slowly. She felt some of the rage drain from her body, but not all of it.

Staring at Lauren she waited for some sign of remorse, some indication that Lauren was truly sorry for what she had done. There was nothing. Payson marched over to her, not quite sure what she was going to do but knowing that she had to address the situation. Her future depended on it.

"What?" Lauren snapped as Payson stared at her. She noticed a slight tremor in her voice.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Payson asked. Lauren snorted, raising an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Payson nodded, chewing on her bottom lip to keep from launching herself at Lauren. Her entire body shook with the effort.

"You're really going to play dumb? I know, Lauren, Sasha told me." Lauren's eyes went wide with panic, she couldn't pretend anymore.

Still, though, she said nothing.

"What are you talking about, Payson?" Kaylie asked, looking back and forth between her two best friends.

"Well?" Payson pressed. She'd never seen Lauren speechless.

"Lauren," Kaylie said, still trying to figure out what was going on. Lauren said nothing. Her lips were sealed together so tightly the skin around them was turning white. Payson nodded; clearly Lauren had made her choice.

"We're done," Payson said. Tears sprang to life in Lauren's eyes, but still she said nothing. Payson continued to stare, waiting for a trademark Lauren Tanner tantrum. Instead, Lauren turned on her heel and ran from the gym.

For a long moment Kaylie and Payson simply stared after her. Sasha came out of the office, his face drawn. Payson felt his eyes on her and looked up, her eyes finding his unerringly. The softness, not pity but something else, tenderness and affection maybe, made tears spring to her eyes. Immediately she looked away, fighting to erect a wall around her emotions. She would not break down in the middle of the gym.

"Payson, I don't get it," Kaylie said pleadingly. Payson just shook her head and swallowed past the tears clogging her throat.

"The video, it was Lauren." She stalked back to the bars, determined to get her focus back.

Lauren Tanner was not going to take that away from her

#

"What do you mean, it was Lauren?" Kaylie asked, trotting after Payson as they broke for lunch. Lauren still hadn't reappeared, which was fine as far as Payson was concerned, but Kaylie would not stop pestering her for information.

"I meant exactly what I said, Kaylie," Payson snapped. She took a breath and tried to remember that none of it was Kaylie's fault. "I'm sorry. Look, Lauren found the training cam video, she edited it to make it look like Sasha didn't push me away, and she sent it to Ellen Beals."

"But how do you know?" Kaylie pressed. Payson stopped walking and stared at her friend.

"You mean because her reaction this morning wasn't enough? Sasha told me."

"I'm sure she didn't mean to…"

"If you tell me she didn't mean to hurt me, or Sasha, I will hurt you. Lauren knew exactly what she was doing when she sent that video and she didn't care," Payson hissed, feeling the rage swell inside her, fill her like poison. She hated that Lauren had the ability to make her feel like that, like she wasn't in control of herself or her emotions. She hated that her anger made her lash out at everyone but Sasha.

"I just, Pay…you know she's been hurting," Kaylie stammered. Payson rolled her eyes.

"That doesn't give her the right to hurt others." Instead of waiting for Kaylie to respond, Payson took a hard right and dashed up the stairs to the office. She knew Kaylie wouldn't follow, Kaylie hated hanging out in the office, and she was eager for just a few moments of silence.

"Pay?" Kim asked as Payson slammed the sliding office door shut. "You okay, honey?"

"I'm fine," Payson said. Sasha looked up from his paperwork, his eyes meeting hers as he raised an eyebrow.

"I just needed a minute," Payson promised. He held her gaze for a moment longer before he nodded and went back to his stack of papers.

"Pay, I'm going to grab some lunch do you want me to bring you something?" Kim asked, grabbing her purse from her bottom desk drawer. As she stood up Payson slipped into her seat, curling her feet under her and laying her head on the desk, sighing at the feeling of cool metal against her skin.

"Yes please," she groaned. Kim rubbed a hand over her back and slipped out. Silence reigned and Payson breathed a sigh of relief; she wondered when the gym had stopped being a sanctuary for her, when it happened that the only place she could escape to was the office.

"Steve Tanner called," Sasha said quietly. "Lauren won't be back today."

Payson groaned and lifted her head from the desk.

"Good," she said, scrubbing her hands over her face. She was honestly glad that that Lauren wouldn't be back, it meant she could relax a little bit, she didn't have to be on her guard every second and she could concentrate on gymnastics again.

"Payson." The command in his tone made her look up. His eyes met hers with an intensity that nearly knocked the breath out of her. "Are you going to be able to train with her?"

Payson frowned, unsure where the conversation was going. Could she train with Lauren, every day for the next year, and look past what she'd done? Could she read the news articles and hear the snide remarks of gymnasts and fans all around the world, knowing that it was all Lauren's fault?

"I…I don't know," Payson said. Sasha nodded, his jaw clenched.

"I'm going to say something, but I'm saying as your coach, okay? As an impartial observer," Sasha warned her. She frowned, wondering why he was making the distinction.

"Sure," she said softly. Sasha leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers.

"What Lauren did was wrong, and I will absolutely understand if you can't or won't forgive her, but you _must_ be able to work with her. You and Lauren are teammates, and if you want to win at least one gold medal in London, you need to be able to cheer each other on, encourage each other, and help each other. I'm not saying that you have to like her or ever talk to her outside of this gym, but I need you to find a way to tolerate her," Sasha said firmly. Payson nodded.

"I'll try," she promised. His eyes softened and he offered her a small smile.

"Thank you."

#

The last thing Payson expected when she got home was to see Lauren waiting for her. She was sitting on the front stoop, her head bowed, twirling her ponytail around her finger. She looked up, her eyes finding Payson's through the windshield.

"You gonna be okay, honey?" Kim asked. Payson nodded.

"Yeah. Better we talk it out here in private than in a gym full of people," Payson reasoned. Kim nodded and went inside while Payson went to stand in front of Lauren. Lauren stood to meet her, hands shoved into the pockets of her jeans. Brazenly she met Payson's eyes.

"Can we talk?" Lauren asked, her voice quieter than Payson could ever remember hearing it. One of the great constants in her life had been the volume of Lauren Tanner's voice.

"I'm listening," Payson said simply. She would hear Lauren out, she would find a way to work with her just like Sasha had asked, but that didn't mean she was going to make it easy on her. Lauren could deal with it.

"Look, I wasn't even thinking about you when I did it. I just wanted Summer and my Dad to get back together and I knew that Summer would leave Sasha if she somehow saw the video. I never meant for anyone to give you a hard time about it," Lauren said in a rush. She sounded so sincere that Payson almost heard it as an apology.

"You still haven't said you're sorry," Payson said through her teeth.

"I didn't think it would get that bad," Lauren insisted. Anger and sadness washed over Payson as Lauren continued to talk. She had always known Lauren was selfish, the act before you think type, but she had never seen her as totally heartless. She'd always thought that Lauren would recognize when she did something truly wrong and own up to it. Instead, like a coward, she was making excuses.

"I need you to forgive me, Payson," Lauren begged.

"Forgive you for what? Nearly ruining my career? Sasha's? For teasing me mercilessly for something that was totally your fault? No, Lauren, I'm sorry. I don't forgive you." Payson was clenching her fists, trying to hold the anger inside of her, trying not to say something that would make it impossible for the two of them to train together.

"Well," Lauren said, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting out one hip. "I'm not leaving until you do."

Payson shrugged her shoulders, pushing past Lauren and into the house.

"Fine, but I suggest you get comfortable."

Payson shut the door with a little more force than she intended. She went straight to her room, changing into her running clothes. She'd already gotten her run in for the day, but she had too much anger, too much pain in her heart to stay home and sit still.

"I'm going for a run," Payson told Kim as she sailed out the door.

"Honey…"

"I'll be back later."

Lauren grabbed her arm, trying to stop her, but Payson shook her off and just kept running. She didn't have a particular destination in mind, she just knew she needed to run, needed an outlet for the turmoil inside her. Tears stung her eyes as she pumped her legs faster, thinking of all the times she and Lauren and Kaylie had shared. There was a time that Payson had trusted them like family, had thought of them as sisters, but that would be impossible now.

The same sense of betrayal she'd felt the night before slammed into her again in full force, knocking the breath from her lungs and forcing her to stop, hands braced on her knees as tears overwhelmed her. She felt as if a friend had died instead of just betrayed her trust.

When she looked up, she realized she was standing in front of Sasha's apartment. How she'd gotten there she had no idea, but she didn't question it as she took the stairs two at a time to Sasha's front door.

He answered before she was even finished knocking.

"Payson?" he asked, alarm lighting his eyes as he took in her tear stained cheeks and her heavy breathing.

Payson threw herself into his arms, needing the strength she could only draw from him. His arms went around her waist without hesitation, pulling her into the apartment and closing the door. He held her tightly for a moment, just letting her cry, and it was only then that she realized he was shirtless, his skin warm beneath her fingers.

"Payson, what's wrong love?" Sasha whispered in her ear, one hand drifting up to grip the back of her neck. His thumb and forefinger stroked the base of her skull, massaging firmly until she felt her muscles relaxing and her tears abating just slightly.

"She can't even say she's sorry," Payson gasped through her tears. Sasha's arm around her waist tightened. "She just keeps making excuses."

"I know, love," he whispered. She felt his lips moving against her hair and shivered, clinging to his shoulders more tightly. Their bodies were pressed flush together; she could feel every inch of him. Slowly her tears dried, stinging against her cheeks, but still neither of them pulled away. Her heart hammered in her chest…or was it his? She wasn't sure anymore. Payson pulled back just enough to look him in the eye, and he didn't seem inclined to let her go any farther. His fingers still massaged her neck, making her knees a little weak.

"Thank you," she whispered. Somehow, those two little words didn't seem enough to really thank him for all he'd done for her so she lifted herself slowly onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

This time, he kissed her back.

**A/N: Thank you to JTellersOldLady, Kissin Concern, SunStar123, LauraW89, elliemarie84, and Barrel of Monkeys for your reviews! Also, a HUGE thank you to JCI for always being willing to read and critique. **

**I know, the ending of this chapter is evil. *Cackles* But you know the best way to get me to update faster? Reviews! The more reviews I get the faster you'll find out what happens, and the next chapter will pick up IMMEDIATELY after this one ends :) **

**Also, if you haven't checked out the chapter of WYHWT that I posted yesterday, go do it!**

**You know what to do!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

His lips were soft, but firm beneath hers as he took the lead, guiding her through territory she'd never been to. The hand on her neck slipped up into her hair, fisting in the thick blonde tresses, as the hand at her waist slipped up beneath the hem of her t-shirt, tracing her surgery scar. She wondered how he knew exactly where it was and then the thought flew from her head because his tongue was flicking out to trace the seam of her lips.

She moaned a little as she opened her mouth, inviting him in, and his grip tightened as he growled in response. The first sweep of his tongue against hers made her shudder and she clutched his shoulders, trying not to collapse in his arms.

Payson had been kissed by Nicky, and she had been kissed by Max, but neither compared to the way Sasha was kissing her; he was possessing her. Her head was swimming with desire, for what she wasn't quite sure, all she knew was that she never wanted him to stop.

Sasha did stop though. Gradually he slowed his kisses, pulling back until they were really just soft brushes of his lips against hers. They were both breathing heavy, Payson felt like she'd just run a marathon, and Sasha pressed his forehead against hers.

For a few minutes they were silent, just trying to catch their breath. Slowly the world came back to her and she gasped, wrenching herself away from Sasha and pressing her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. She shook her head, praying she hadn't just done what she thought she had, praying it was a dream.

"I…that shouldn't…"

"Payson," Sasha said carefully, reaching his arms out to her. She shook her head again and backed away until she felt her shoulders connect lightly with the wall.

"I'm sorry!" Payson cried. Sasha approached her slowly, like he would a wounded animal.

"Payson, you have nothing to be sorry for," Sasha promised. When he was within arm's reach Payson launched herself at him, grabbing him by the shoulders.

"You can't leave again!" Sasha's hands were at her waist again, though his grasp was so different than it had been just a moment ago. This time he was anchoring her, trying to keep her from completely breaking down, trying to make her focus.

"Payson!" He said harshly, his tone demanding she calm down. She stilled immediately. "You have nothing to be sorry for. And I am not leaving again."

Her shoulders sagged and they both relaxed, though neither released their hold on the other.

"I'm still sorry. I shouldn't have done that," Payson whispered, looking at the floor. Sasha pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"It's been an emotional couple of days, love, I'm surprised we lasted this long," Sasha said with a laugh. Payson pulled back enough to look up at him. He read the question in her eyes and answered without prompting. "In a perfect world, our circumstances would be different."

Payson didn't have to ask for clarification, she knew exactly what he meant. He meant that in a perfect world they wouldn't be coach and athlete, or there wouldn't be such an age gap; in a perfect world there would be nothing keeping them apart. She reached up, stroking her thumb over his cheek, and shook her head.

"No," she said, smiling sadly. "If even one part of our circumstances were different, we might not have ever met."

Sasha smiled, and leaned in to kiss her again.

#

"This can't last, can it?" Payson asked, stroking the back of Sasha's hand as they lounged together on his couch. Her back was pressed to his chest, their legs twisted together and his arms around her. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and sighed.

They'd been sitting together for an hour in near silence, just drawing strength and comfort from skin to skin contact.

Sasha shook his head.

"No, it can't."

"Then why did you let me kiss you?" Payson asked without even a hint of retribution in her voice. Whatever the reason, she was glad to have had those moments. Sasha tightened his hold on her, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of her head.

"Because we both needed it," he whispered. She toyed with his fingers some more, chewing on her bottom lip.

"I don't…I don't know if I can go back," she muttered. Sasha sighed, his breath rustling her hair.

"Go back to what?"

"To the way it was before, with us. This…Sasha this feels so right." Payson shifted so that she was facing him, kneeling between his knees and grabbing him by the shoulders. "Doesn't it?"

Sasha reached out and brushed a stray piece of hair away from her face before trailing his fingers down her jaw line. She shivered under his touch.

"It does," he agreed. "And it still will in a year."

"But how am I supposed to pretend this never happened?" Payson asked, almost begging him to tell her how to handle it. Sasha sighed, frowning slightly.

"We're going to focus on your gymnastics," he said firmly. "We have a job to do, Payson, and that is to make sure you're wearing as much gold as possible at the end of the Games. There isn't going to be time for anything else."

Payson snorted. The solution couldn't possibly be that simple, could it? Just focus on her gymnastics and everything else would fall away? Sure, that was how she'd operated in the past, but there was so much at stake now, so much going on she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to put it all out of her head.

"Do you trust me, Payson?" Sasha asked.

"Of course I do." Sasha took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Then trust me when I say that we can do this," he promised. She nodded. Payson did trust Sasha, she trusted him with her life, and if he thought they could make it a year then she did too.

"We're in this together," she said. He nodded, and pulled her in for one last kiss.

"Together."

#

Lauren was no longer waiting on the stoop when Payson finally got home, but Kaylie was. As soon as she saw the tiny National Champ, still looking a little thinner than was healthy, Payson slowed to a brisk walk. Wariness filled her; what could Kaylie possibly want but to try talking her into forgiving Lauren? Payson had no doubt that Lauren had called Kaylie and begged for her help, and now there she was.

"Where have you been?" Kaylie demanded as soon as Payson hit the end of her driveway. Payson raised an eyebrow at her.

"Running," Payson said simply. Kaylie looked her up and down, a dubious frown marring her pretty face.

"I've been waiting for an hour and when I got here Lauren said you'd been gone almost twenty minutes. You don't look like you've been running all that time," Kaylie said. Payson rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"What do you want, Kaylie?" she asked. She flinched at how harsh her voice sounded, she hadn't meant it that way. Kaylie paused and took a deep breath, lifting up onto the balls of her feet and then lower herself again. Payson could tell she was preparing herself for battle; it was the same routine she went through before every competition.

"I want to talk about what happened," Kaylie finally said. Payson nodded slowly.

"You mean how Lauren stole a video, edited it, and sent it to Ellen Beals knowing that it would ruin Sasha's career and could have ruined mine?" Payson asked. She wasn't going to dance around what Lauren had done just because it made Kaylie uncomfortable. Kaylie shifted on her feet, grimacing.

"Yeah, that. Listen, I talked to her…"

"If you're here to tell me to forgive her, I don't want to hear it. What she did…"

"It was unforgivable, I know," Kaylie said quickly, holding up her hands in surrender. "I'm not here to ask you to forgive her. I'm just…look I've heard her side of the story, I know why she did it, and obviously I understand where you're coming from."

"So what are you trying to say, Kaylie?" Payson asked, trying to move her along. The temperature was dropping quickly and she could feel the chill seeping into her bones.

"I'm trying to say that I'm not choosing sides. I'm…Switzerland, okay? I'm still going to be Lauren's friend and I'm still going to be your friend and I'm not going to listen to you two bitch at The Rock every day," Kaylie said.

"Well I won't be Lauren's friend. I'll train with her in as much peace as there can ever be with her around, but I'm not her friend and I'm not speaking to her if I don't have to," Payson said simply. Kaylie huffed and shook her head.

"So you're going to make me choose anyway?" Kaylie asked. Payson recoiled.

"What? No, I'm not making you choose Kaylie, I'm just saying that I won't be speaking to Lauren if I don't have to."

"So I can hang out with you or I can hang out with her but not both?" Kaylie snapped. "That's making me choose Payson. I can't believe you'd be that selfish! You know we're supposed to be a team, we're supposed to be there for each other."

Payson threw her hands into the air, shaking her head. "The way Lauren's been there for me? You know what, I'm not going to make you choose, I'll choose for you. Go hang out with Lauren, Kaylie, and stay out of my way."

"What?" Kaylie shrieked.

"You two infect the gym with your drama, and I don't need it."

"So you're just going to blow us off, just like that?" Kaylie asked.

Payson had nothing else to say, didn't know what would change the situation, so she just shook her head and went inside. Kaylie called after her, begged her to give Lauren a chance, but Payson had given Lauren a million chances, they all had, and she kept stabbing them in the back. Payson didn't need that, didn't want that in her life and if it meant cutting Kaylie loose too then so be it.

The wall around her emotions started to crack; she could feel her throat constrict the way it always did right before she cried, she could feel the emptiness in her stomach that came with the loss of her friends. Payson bit her lip hard, trying to shock herself away from the sadness.

She went straight for her room, shutting the door behind her and curling up on her bed. She reached for her phone and scrolled through the contacts until she found the one she wanted, the one she hadn't used in quite a while now.

"Hey Em, its Payson. I just wanted to check in, see how you are," Payson said after the voicemail picked up, a cheery message that all four of them had recorded. Tears pricked her eyes and she tried to blink them away. "I found something out today; it was Lauren who sent the video of me and Sasha to Beals. I should've guessed, huh?"

Payson's voice broke as tears started to slip down her cheeks. Emily had not always been her favorite person; they had very different ideas about hard work and sacrifice, but Payson missed her. They had faced their fears together, and that had bonded them in a way nothing else could.

"I hope you're doing okay in Vegas, and I miss you. Bye."

#

For the second day in a row, Payson was dreading the Rock. She dreaded seeing Sasha and having to pretend that the night before hadn't happened and she dreaded having to work with Lauren and Kaylie. There wasn't a single thing she was looking forward to, not even working on her routines.

"Hey Keeler." Payson jumped at the sound of Austin's voice. "You just gonna stand out here all day?"

Payson looked back to the two signs hanging outside; hers and Austin's. For years she had dreamed of seeing a sign with her name on it above the glass double doors but now it seemed so hollow.

"I was thinking about it," she grumbled. Austin laughed, slinging an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug.

"Why the long face?" He asked. Payson looked up at him, at the boy who'd become something like a brother to her, and debated what to tell him. She didn't want to force him to choose too, especially because she knew what his choice would be; he was Kaylie's boyfriend, his allegiances were decided.

"No reason," she said. She tried to force a smile, but Austin shook his head and pulled her away from the door.

"Liar," he said gently. Payson bit her lip; she could at least tell him about Lauren, right? Lauren wasn't his girlfriend, and the stuff between him and Kaylie could work itself out. It wasn't Payson's job to shield them from relationship drama.

"I'm…fighting with Lauren," she admitted. Austin frowned.

"Fighting? About what?" Payson pulled away, shaking his arm from her shoulders, and leaned against the wall. The rough cement scraped against her shoulders, snagged the nylon of her leo. Austin stared at her, waiting.

"Lauren sent that tape to Ellen Beals, the one…"

"Of you and Sasha," Austin growled. "I should have known."

"I guess we all should have," Payson muttered. Austin punched the wall lightly, though Payson could see the effort it was taking him to hold back.

"Why hasn't Sasha kicked her out yet?" Austin snapped. Payson shook her head.

"Because he's not going to. He's her coach, he has to look past it," Payson said. The words sounded hollow, even to her. She understood why Sasha made the choice to keep Lauren at the Rock, she understood his reasoning for pulling back, attempting to be impartial, but that didn't mean she would have made the same choice. She didn't really understand how it was going to work, how he was going to be able to stand coaching Lauren after what she'd done.

"I don't think anyone would blame him for it," Austin said.

"I know, but…" Payson stopped herself. She was about to reveal information that she shouldn't know, insights into Sasha's mindset that she shouldn't have. "I don't know."

"Does Kaylie know?" Austin asked. Payson chewed on her bottom lip as she nodded. "And?"

"She's going to stay out of it. She said she's Switzerland." Payson said. Maybe it wasn't her job to shield them from relationship drama, but it also wasn't her job to start it. Kaylie had tried to stay neutral, Payson had forced her hand.

"Kaylie is incapable of being Switzerland," Austin scoffed. Payson giggled.

"Are you two done out here, or am I to wait all day for my gymnasts?" Sasha asked, appearing at the doors. Payson jumped a little, looking at the ground to avoid his gaze.

"Sorry Sasha," she muttered. She slipped past him and into the gym, Austin following closely behind.

#

"Payson, I want you on floor," Sasha said as he followed Payson and Austin into the gym. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he wished he could take them back; maybe they wouldn't have been taken the wrong way by an impartial observer, but to him they sounded…dirty.

"Yes Sasha," Payson said obediently. She took off jogging towards the center of the floor, waiting for him.

"Do you have any idea how she's doing?" Austin asked. Sasha glanced over at him, his brow furrowed.

"She told you?" Sasha asked. He saw a tiny smile tug at the corners of Austin's mouth.

"I made her. But she's acting like everything's fine." Sasha shook his head, wondering how much it would be appropriate to tell Austin.

"She's struggling." He didn't wait for Austin to respond, moving across the gym towards Payson instead.

She stood in the center of the floor, staring into space, unfocused. He could see the pain behind her eyes and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day holding her, promising her that everything would be okay.

But that wasn't what she needed. She needed to focus on her gymnastics, to get comfortable in the gym again. She needed to work.

"I've been thinking about some changes to your floor routine," Sasha said as he approached her. Payson turned towards him, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Yes. I think your strength is back and I'd like to start incorporating some more power elements in your routines," Sasha said. Payson nodded eagerly.

"Great."

"We're going to break it down step by step. What do you think about a round off one and a half, round off back handspring into a two and a half twisting layout for your first tumbling pass?" Payson sputtered, her eyes going wide.

"Are you serious?" Payson asked, laughing. Sasha couldn't help but smile with her.

"That pass alone is a…" Payson trailed off as she did the mental calculations. "One point four!"

Sasha's smile widened when he saw how happy the idea made her. She took a few running steps forward, ready to throw herself into Sasha's arms, but pulled up short at the last second, doubt and confusion flashing through her eyes.

"Um, yeah, that would be great." She turned on her heel and made her way to the opposite end of the mat. Sasha reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, hoping to stave off the headache that was lurking behind his eyes.

Sasha Belov had never professed to be a great man; in his past he'd been a pompous arse who drank too much alcohol, slept with too many women, and still managed to win gold. In his present, he still had a penchant for alcohol, and one young woman in particular. He had always hoped, however, that he had grown into a good man.

This situation with Payson proved to him that he had not. He was meant to be her coach, to guide her on her path to the Olympics. Instead he was distracting her, dragging her down into something she shouldn't have to deal with. If he had been stronger, if he were a better man, he would have been able to turn her away.

"Sasha," Payson snapped. He shook his head clear and looked to her. "Were you even watching?"

"Uh, yes. Run it again." Payson huffed and moved back to the other side of the mat. This time, Sasha did watch her; her body flew through the air, twisting and tumbling with all the power and grace of a jungle cat. She was radiant.

It would be so much easier to wait for her if he didn't have to see her every day, touch her, spend so much time in close quarters with her. If he could wallow away the days at his cabin in Cambria, everything would be so much easier. But Payson needed him, and he would be a worse man if he left her in her time of need.

Payson landed mere feet in front of him, her arms raised high in salute. She looked so very tense. Swallowing roughly, knowing he couldn't punish Payson for his own self-loathing, he stepped forward and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. He felt her tense beneath his touch before her entire body relaxed, her muscles now supple and pliant beneath his grasp.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she swayed into his touch as his hand drifted up to cup her neck.

"Payson," he said. "You need to relax."

"I…I don't know how to," she admitted, her eyes opening to meet his. Sasha sighed, tightening his hold on her just a bit and then dropping his hand. He was walking a fine line.

"Come on, let's go talk in the office," Sasha offered. Kim was sitting at her desk, bent over the endless paperwork they always seemed to have. Sasha saw Payson recoil when she spotted her mother, but he pressed the palm of his hand into the small of her back, urging her forward.

"It's okay," he whispered. "Kim, could you give us a minute?"

Kim looked up, startled, and then nodded and gathered a stack of papers.

"Of course. You okay, honey?" She asked. Payson nodded.

"Yeah, it's not a big deal," Payson said, unconvincingly. Kim pressed a kiss to her temple as she walked by.

"Okay then," Kim said, slipping out. Sasha closed the door behind her as Payson took over her mother's seat.

"How am I supposed to act?" Payson blurted. Sasha laughed softly at the complete absurdity of their situation and leaned against the desk.

"Nothing needs to change between us in the gym, Payson," Sasha said. It wouldn't be easy, but he and Payson both had enough self control to not cross the boundaries during training. At least he hoped they did.

"But what if people figure it out?" Payson asked. Sasha sighed.

"Figure out what? That we're close? They already know that," Sasha reminded her. In fact, there were still whispers around the gym about whether or not he and Payson were too close.

"What if they figure out something's changed," Payson stressed. Sasha knelt before her so that they were eye level and laid his hands over hers.

"Nothing's changed; Payson we've both felt this way for a while now. The only difference is that we both know it. We don't have to distance ourselves from each other Payson, I just can't go kissing you any time I want," he teased, hoping to draw a smile from her. It worked.

"Good. I don't think I could stand it if I lost you too," she said. He noticed tears welling in her eyes as she gave a tiny sniff. She pressed her lips together tightly, the way she always did when she was trying not to cry.

"Too? Who else have you lost, Payson?" He asked. Obviously she had lost Lauren, but he knew that she would understand his question.

"Kaylie. She and Lauren have been best friends since tumble tots. If they can get over the whole situation with Carter…Kaylie would never choose me," Payson said.

Sasha sighed, the wheels turning in his mind. Payson needed an ally, someone who wasn't him; she needed another gymnast who would have her back when things between her and Lauren or Kaylie became too tense. Something Kim had said the other day flashed through his memory.

"Your mum said you and Kelly Parker got on well during your sponsorship tour," Sasha commented. The two girls were both represented by MJ's company and they had gone on tour together after Worlds. Sasha had expected it to end in disaster, but Kim had said that the two girls had grown fond of each other, if not close.

"Yeah, she's not as bad as we all thought she was. But she's in Denver," Payson said, frowning. Sasha smiled, standing up and reaching for the phone.

"What if she was here?"

**A/N: There you have Chapter 3! I promise a new chapter of WYHWT soon, but that probably means early next week as I have a big paper due Monday. **

**As always a BIG thank you to alysunsparkle, BlueSkyHigh, Perko, SunStar123, Moongirl, AngelWings8, Ida-cullen, Cassie, poppetrussell, Kissin Concern, LauraW89, and Barrel of Monkeys for your reviews! You guys are seriously awesome! **

**Be sure to let me know what you thought of the chapter! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Kim Keeler had never been a hateful person, and she had never been especially quick to anger, but finding out Lauren Tanner had leaked that video of Sasha and Payson was testing that. For a week and a half she'd been watching Payson suffer, watching her normally focused, unshakable daughter crumple under the weight of having to train around Kaylie and Lauren, and it made her so angry; more angry than a grown woman probably had a right to be, at least when that anger was directed at a teenage girl.

This was supposed to be the time of Payson's life. Her dreams were coming true, she'd bounced back from what should have been a career ending injury, and she was America's darling. She should be having fun, but instead she hated going to the gym. Kim felt like she was torturing her own daughter every time she asked her to get in the car.

She poured herself a travel mug full of coffee and sighed, bracing her hands against the counter and wishing for the day to pass without incident.

"Pay, are you…ready," Kim called, trailing off in surprise as Payson bounced into the kitchen and took a banana from the counter and a protein shake from the fridge. She was smiling. "Wow, you're in a good mood this morning."

It was the first time since finding out Lauren had leaked the video that Kim hadn't had to physically drag Payson out of her room.

"Kelly's coming today," Payson explained, tearing off a large chunk of the banana and popping it into her mouth. Kim smiled, reaching out to brush her fingers against her daughter's cheek.

"I'm glad you're going to have an ally in the gym," Kim said. She had been more surprised than anyone when Payson had come home from her media tour talking about her "friend" Kelly Parker. Ever since they started competing, first as juniors and then as senior elites, Kelly and Payson had always had a bitter rivalry, exacerbated by the press at every single meet. Kim could clearly remember Payson ripping Kelly's picture out of magazine's and coloring in black teeth and horns, so to see her so excited over Kelly's arrival at the Rock was jarring.

"Well, shall we get a move on?" Kim asked, shaking herself from her thoughts. Payson nodded, shoving the rest of the banana in her mouth and throwing away the peel before grabbing the shake and her bag and heading towards the front door.

Kim thought that just maybe things were starting to look up.

#

"You're a genius," Kim said as she sat down at her desk. Sasha jumped, looking up from a stack of papers.

"I'm sorry?" He asked. Kim smiled at the slightly bewildered expression he always wore when someone interrupted his work.

"Bringing Kelly in to train with Payson, it's brilliant," Kim said. Sasha offered her a crooked smile, like he knew just how brilliant he was, but didn't want to gloat.

"Hopefully it will help," he said. His eyes drifted to the window and Kim thought she some something flash across his features as he watched Payson stretch, some emotion she could quite name; affection, certainly, but also something else.

"Have I thanked you, lately?" Kim asked. Sasha turned his attention back to her and smiled again.

"No thanks necessary, Kim." She sat down in her chair, still looking at Sasha.

"Yes, it is. You keep saving my daughter when no one else can, you deserve our thanks. Come to dinner on Friday? Please, Sasha?" Kim was practically begging, which she hated, but she felt an intense need to do something for Sasha, even something as little as making him a home cooked meal.

He met her eyes for a moment and then looked away, like she was making him uncomfortable. She felt a little bad about that, but she wanted, no needed, to express her gratitude and if she had to guilt him into it then so be it. She was a mother to two teenage girls, she was great at guilt tripping people.

"Of course," Sasha finally muttered, offering her a tight smile. Kim frowned. It was one thing for Sasha to be uncomfortable with her praise, but he usually got over it fairly quickly. This was something else entirely, though what exactly it was she didn't know.

Kim was about to ask him what was going on when noise exploded through the gym. It wasn't the noise of a normal day; feet hitting the mats, teenage girls talking and laughing as they trained. No, it was the kind of noise Kim had come to hate. It was the sound of Payson and Lauren clashing, again.

"Didn't I tell you not to talk to me?" The venom in Payson's voice shocked Kim, she was having a hard time reconciling her sweet little girl with this young woman who's tone of voice could probably slice through Lauren like the sharpest sword.

Sasha sighed and stood up.

"I'll take care of it," he said as he slipped past. Kim could only watch him go and silently thank him once again.

#

Sasha scrubbed a hand over his face as he descended the stairs, wincing at the volume of Lauren and Payson yelling at each other. It was the same fight every time, Lauren tried to apologize and Payson refused to accept it. How much longer could this possibly go on? One of them had to give up eventually, didn't they? Who was he kidding, they were two of the most stubborn teenage girls he'd ever known.

As his feet hit the floor, Sasha looked up at his gymnasts. Payson's face was flushed with anger, her fists clenched at her sides, but she was pretty in control of herself. Lauren, on the other hand, looked distinctly out of control; her eyes wide and hysterical, her face white.

"You knew exactly what you were doing, Lauren, now deal with the consequences," Payson hissed. She turned to walk away.

"Well if you hadn't kissed Sasha in the first place, there wouldn't have been a video for me to find," Lauren snapped. "So I guess this is all really your fault."

Sasha could see the exact moment the words hit Payson's retreating back. She pitched forward just slightly, like they were a physical blow, her face draining of all color.

And then she snapped.

Sasha realized it would happen just an instant before it did, but an instant was all he needed to cover the space between him and Payson, and catch her around the waist as she lunged at Lauren. Lauren cowered back and Payson fought him with everything she had, swinging out at Lauren even though she knew they were too far away for her hits to land.

"Outside, now," Sasha snapped, hoping his harsh tone would get through to her as he carried her outside. "Lauren, wait in the office."

"Put me down Sasha," Payson growled. Making sure Lauren was safely in the office, he did, though he still kept a firm hand on the small of her back.

"Cool off," he demanded. "I don't want to see you back in the gym for at least ten minutes."

"Sasha," she cried, outraged.

"Cool off, Payson."

Lauren was sitting on the couch just inside the office when Sasha came in. She was biting her cuticles down to the quick and Sasha winced as they turned red with blood.

"Lauren…you're suspended. For one week, you may not set foot in this gym," Sasha said with a sigh. Lauren's head snapped up, her face stricken.

"What?"

"I didn't want to do this, Lauren, even though I probably should have weeks ago," Sasha said.

"Why though?" Lauren asked, her voice strangled.

"You think I don't have reason? You nearly ruined the career of one of your teammates. You can't be trusted. Not to mention all the other things you've done that I haven't bothered to call you on. I think you need a little time away from the gym to evaluate," Sasha explained.

"Is this because I made your precious Payson angry?" Lauren snapped. It was no surprise to Sasha that Lauren lashed out when she felt threatened, but her words still made his blood boil.

"Get out, Lauren. I'll see you in a week."

#

Payson sank down onto the bench out the Rock and blew out a breath, trying to regain the control she'd lost. Her hands were shaking. She hated that Lauren made her lose control like that, but most of all she hated herself for not being able to turn the other cheek. She hated that she let Lauren get to her.

"Hey." Payson opened her eyes to see Kelly Parker standing just a few feet away, arms crossed and her gym bag slung over one shoulder. She was wearing her new Rock warm ups, and her hair was up in a ponytail instead of her trademark devil horns.

Payson had never been so glad to see her.

"Hey," she replied.

"Why are you sitting out here?" Kelly asked, dropping down on the bench next to Payson.

"Because Lauren is a bitch," Payson said simply. It wasn't the most direct explanation, but it was enough.

"I hear that," Kelly said. "She been giving you a lot of trouble?" Payson nodded, breathing deeply again and letting go of the last bits of rage that swirled inside her.

"She just won't shut her mouth. Every day it's like _forgive me Payson_ or _I didn't mean to Payson_, and then today she had the gall to say it was really my fault for kissing Sasha in the first place!" Payson said, her blood pressure rising again. Kelly gasped besides her.

"Are you joking?" she asked. Payson shook her head. "Wow, that took balls." Payson rolled her eyes at Kelly's crass language and then looked at her watch.

"Come on. I was supposed to be out here ten minutes, time's up," Payson said.

Walking back into the gym, Payson saw Sasha standing at the edge of the floor, watching Kaylie work through her routine. His arms were crossed, making the muscles in his shoulders and back stand out more than usual. She felt heat rising in her cheeks as she remembered how those arms had felt when they were holding her on his couch just a week ago.

Looking away quickly, she scanned the gym for Lauren.

"Think she ran off with her tail between her legs?" Kelly asked. Payson shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. At the sound of their voices, Sasha turned around. After giving a few instructions to Kaylie, he started towards them.

"Kelly, welcome to the Rock. There's a locker with your name on it, you can put your things away and then jump into the rotation with Payson," Sasha said. Kelly nodded and moved to do as he said while he turned to Payson. Reaching out he took her by the back of the neck, unconcerned of what people would say. No one was paying them any attention, they were watching Kelly.

"I suspended Lauren for the week," he said. Payson breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling the stress melt away almost instantly at the thought of a Lauren free week.

"Thank you," she said, reaching up to grab his arm. His fingers tightened just slightly.

"Payson, you're going to have to learn to work with her eventually," he said. Payson dropped her hand from his arm, glaring at him.

"You think I don't know that? You think I'm not trying to ignore her with everything I have? I'm trying, Sasha, but it isn't going to happen overnight," she snapped. Knocking his hand away from her neck, she stomped off to the uneven bars.

How could he think that she wasn't trying to ignore Lauren? But trying as hard as she was ended up taking focus away from her gymnastics, so no maybe she wasn't trying as hard as she possibly could, but she was trying hard enough.

Chalking up, Payson moved to stand before the low bar. Jumping up, she swung herself up. She was hardly thinking about the moves themselves as she swung around, throwing herself to the top bar and twisting mid-air.

"Impressive," Kelly said with a low whistle, wandering up and chalking her grips.

"Thanks," Payson said, jumping down. "Sasha and I have been working really hard on new routines for the Olympics. So how was Marty with you moving here?"

"He's pissed, but whatever," Kelly said, shrugging. She went to stand in front of the bars, swinging her arms back and forth as she stared down the low bar.

"Hey KP?" Payson asked. "I'm glad you're here."

Kelly looked over at her and offered a rare, genuine smile.

"Me too, PK."

#

"I can't take it anymore Daddy!" Lauren shouted, bursting into the house and slamming the door shut so hard the frame rattled. She couldn't believe Sasha had kicked her out of the gym, especially after his big speech about "short memory" at Worlds. She had thought he would be able to stay out of what was going on between her and Payson, but apparently he couldn't stand to let his girlfriend fight her own battles.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Steve asked, sitting up a little straighter on the couch and tossing the papers he'd been reading onto the table. Lauren threw her bag against the wall and then resisted the urge to kick it across the room.

"Sasha kicked me out of the gym!" Lauren shrieked. Steve winced and she saw his hands twitch, like he was resisting the urge to cover his ears.

"What do you mean he kicked you out?" He asked. Lauren rolled her eyes. Her father could be so dense sometimes.

"He. Kicked. Me. Out. I can't go back for a whole week!" Lauren said, stamping her foot. She knew she looked like a child, but she was just so mad. Sasha was playing favorites, and it was going to give Payson a huge edge going into the Trials, an edge that Lauren couldn't afford. She was already tied for second with Kaylie, and with Kelly arriving at the gym that bumped her and Kaylie down to tied for third. Lauren Tanner did not do third.

"So he didn't kick you out, he suspended you," Steve clarified. Lauren turned her best icy glare on him. This close to the Olympic Trials, they might as well be the same thing.

"A week of no training Daddy, do you have any idea how much that will affect my chances at the Trials? There's no way that the committee is going to choose four girls from the same gym. Maybe three, and right now Kaylie and I are tied for third. I can't afford that right now!" Lauren said, her voice rising with every word until she was nearly screaming again.

"So, what are you going to do about it?" Steve asked. Lauren took a breath, trying to think of a solution. When she finally did, it popped into her head so clearly she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it from the beginning.

"I'm going to call Marty." Without waiting for Steve's reaction, Lauren picked up her bag and ran to her, pulling out her cell phone as she went.

Moving to Denver was the perfect plan. She knew Marty and his coaching style, and with Kelly gone she would be the very best gymnast he had. He would be begging her to get started as soon as possible, she just knew it.

"Hello?" Marty asked after the third ring.

"Marty? It's Lauren Tanner," Lauren said, trying to put some sniffles into her voice so he would feel a little sorry for her. Not a lot, because she hated pity, but enough to make it even easier to convince him that she was exactly what Denver needed.

"Lauren, what can I do for you?" Marty asked, sounding a little surprised.

"I have to leave The Rock," Lauren said, sniffling a few times. "I know that you and my dad haven't always gotten along, but I was really hoping that I could come train in Denver."

"Why do you have to leave the Rock, Lauren?"

"Because…Payson is just making it so difficult; I've apologized and apologized and done everything I can do make up for what I did but she just won't let it go. She tried to punch me today, but Sasha stopped her just in time. I'm just too afraid to keep training there. Please, Marty," Lauren begged. She knew she was laying it on thick, but why not? She was good at it.

"Payson did what? That doesn't sound like her," he said softly. Lauren frowned; she was losing him to Payson. Just like she lost everyone to Payson.

"Well she did it. She's not the perfect little angel everyone thinks she is," Lauren snapped. She heard Marty sigh.

"Fine Lauren, you can come train at Denver Elite. But you and I are going to sit down and have a good long talk, and you're going to start out on probation, got it?" Marty insisted.

"On probation? What the hell does that mean?" Lauren asked.

"It means that you will be signing a conduct agreement. Or you can keep training at The Rock if you like…"

"No! Fine, I'll sign whatever. Can I start tomorrow?"

"Practice starts at eight sharp."

#

Sasha shifted uncomfortably as he straightened his tie one last time and reached out to ring the Keeler doorbell. He hadn't really wanted to come to dinner, spending too much time in close proximity to Payson was not a good idea, but Kim had a way of making him feel horrible if he didn't do exactly as she asked.

"Sasha," Payson said as she opened the door, her eyes wide. She clearly hadn't been expecting him.

"Your mom didn't tell you I was coming for dinner?" he asked. She shook her head slowly, but stepped aside to let him in.

As he moved past her, he caught the smell of her that drove him so crazy; chalk and jasmine. Since she had obviously showered after practice the smell of chalk was subtle, but it was there. Unable to resist, he leaned in a brushed his lips slowly against her cheek. She shuddered.

"Sasha," she whispered warningly. He couldn't help but smile. Glancing up, he saw for sure that there was no one around to see, so he kissed her again, quickly. "You're evil."

"Sorry," he muttered. "You just smelled so good."

"Shut up," she said, punching him lightly in the arm. He followed her into the kitchen, watching the sway of her hips for as long as he dared and wishing that their circumstances were different. But Payson had been right, if even one of their circumstances were different they might never have met. And a life without Payson was no life for him.

"Sasha! Right on time," Kim said, brandishing a wooden spoon covered in spaghetti sauce at him. Then Kim looked to Payson. "I'm sorry, sweetie, I forgot to tell you he was coming."

"It's fine," Payson said.

"Kim, do you mind if I speak with Payson privately for a moment?" Sasha asked. Kim frowned at him and for a moment he wondered if he'd crossed some line of propriety without realizing it. Of course, he had crossed lines, several, but none that Kim knew about.

"Five minutes, and then there is a moratorium on gym talk for the rest of the evening," she insisted. Sasha breathed a sigh of relief.

"Of course," he promised. At her nod, he took Payson by the elbow and led her out the back door to the patio.

"What's up?" Payson asked, taking a few steps to the right so that they were between the sliding glass door and the dining room windows. Knowing that no one could see them, Sasha stepped in closer than he normally would have. He didn't kiss her like he wanted to, but the proximity was enough. For now.

"I got a call from Marty today," he said softly, reaching out to twirl a strand of Payson's hair around his finger. It was fluffy and soft and he wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through it over and over again.

"Oh yeah?" Payson asked.

"Lauren is leaving the Rock for good. She's training at Denver Elite now," Sasha said. He watched Payson's reaction closely; the way her eyes narrowed for just a split second before they widened, the way all the tension seemed to drain from her shoulders. She looked halfway relaxed for the first time in weeks.

"Really?" She asked. Sasha nodded, smiling at her. He hadn't wanted to admit it, but he was as relieved as anyone when he heard the news. With Lauren gone, the gym could focus again.

"Really."

"Oh, that's great!" Payson threw her arms around his neck, surging forward. Her body pressed against his as his arms went around her and it was a split second before he realized that her lips had touched his.

They were gone just as quickly as Payson took a step back and looked towards the sliding glass door to make sure they hadn't been spotted. Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans she looked at the ground.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"For what?" Sasha asked. He didn't care what the circumstances were, he never wanted Payson to be sorry for kissing him ever again.

"Kissing you like that, out here on my patio where anyone could see," she clarified, even though he knew perfectly well what she was talking about. He smiled, taking a step closer to her and reaching out to settle his hands on her waist. Slowly he pulled her back to him.

"You mean like this?" He asked.

And then he was kissing her.

**A/N: A HUGE thanks to Barrel of Monkeys, Cassie, LauraW89, AlixM1234, Kissin Concern, Poppetrussel, Ida-cullen, explamation points forever, and narcoleptic 86 for your reviews on Chapter 3. **

**Also I am like the worst person in the world for ignoring this and WYHWT for so long. I am truly sorry. First it was Nano (which I won, btw) and then it was that I was consumed with actually finishing the first draft of my nano novel which I just managed to do the other day, and then it was the holidays. Excuses, excuses, I know. But seriously, sorry to make you all wait. Hopefully you haven't forgotten about me :)**

**As always, review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"What would you think about a round off Arabian walkover mount?" Payson asked as she watched Kelly work through her beam routine.

"Seriously?" Kelly asked, arching an eyebrow at Payson.

"Why not? It's a D skill, you could get it in no time," Payson said. Kelly jumped down from the beam and planted her hands on her hips, staring at Payson as she considered it. After a moment she shrugged.

"Let's try it," she said. Payson helped her pull over the springboard and then stood by the end of the beam to spot her. Kelly took a few steps back and then readied herself, giving her body a shake like a dog shaking off water, and then rose to the balls of her feet.

She launched herself into a powerful run for just a few steps before throwing her body into a round off. Her feet hit the springboard, lifting her high into the air as she twisted her body so that her hands landed on the beam.

Her momentum was too much and it pushed her forward until she lost her balance, twisting herself off the beam and landing on her feet like a cat.

"That was closer than a lot of people could get on a first try," Payson offered. Kelly huffed out a breath but nodded.

"I'll get it. Your turn," she said, waving at the beam. Payson did a simple forward roll mount and then began moving through her routine. "Your mount is so boring."

Payson laughed and performed a solid double flic-flac, linking together two back handsprings and a layout, before jumping into a complicated switch split ring leap, seeming to float on the air.

"My DOD is half a point higher than yours, even with the Arabian, so you can keep the cool mount," Payson teased with a wink. Kelly rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.

"Ladies," Austin said, sauntering up to Kelly's side and watching Payson finish her beam routine. She did another split leap, transitioning into a sissone, and then steadied herself for her dismount. She pushed herself into another double back handspring and then used the speed and momentum to launch off the end of the beam and into a double pike. Her feet hit the mats with just the tiniest wobble.

"Your extensions were crap," Kelly said. Payson just shook her head, but Austin nodded.

"She's not wrong, they weren't up to your normal standard," he said. Payson smacked him in the arm.

"What are you even doing over here? Shouldn't you be focusing on your own routines?" Payson teased. Austin threw his arms around Kelly and Payson, pulling them in close and ruffling their hair.

"I just came by to see how you two are doing. I'm still waiting for the spell to wear off and for you to be at each other's throats again," he said.

"Nah. I think we're stuck now," Kelly said. "Friends forever, or some crap like that."

"Aw, KP, you love me," Payson cooed.

"When's your next PR weekend? Mine's in two weeks," Austin said. Kelly and Payson nodded.

"Ours too," Payson said.

"I think MJ scheduled it so we'd always be together," Kelly agreed.

"Yeah, otherwise she'd never get me to go," Payson huffed. She still wasn't happy about having to devote a long weekend every month to sponsors, but MJ had insisted. And it could have been worse, Payson knew gymnasts like Shawn Johnson and Nastia Luikin who had so many sponsors they were forced to devote a lot more time than four days a month.

"Hey guys," Kaylie said, bouncing up to them. Payson looked at the floor and shifted out from under Austin's arm. Even with Lauren gone, things were still tense between the two of them. Payson couldn't just forget that Kaylie had chosen Lauren.

"Hey," Austin said with a bright smile. Kelly gave her a tight smile, firmly on Payson's side.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Our next PR weekend. MJ has us all on the same schedule," Austin explained, reaching out and tucking a wayward strand of hair behind her ears. Payson thought she saw a blush rise in Kaylie's cheeks. She thought it was weird; Kaylie had been the first of them with a boyfriend and yet she still seemed the most innocent and naive. She blushed all the time around Austin. Although Payson knew she would blush a lot too if she let herself think about Sasha too much.

"Hey! Why are you lot just standing about?" Sasha called from the top of the stairs. The four of them jumped and spread out; Kaylie taking her spot at the beam, Kelly and Payson heading for the vault, and Austin back towards the rings.

Sasha watched them closely and then descended the stairs, heading over to the vault with Payson and Kelly. He stood next to Payson, Kelly had moved to the end of the run, and brushed his fingers against hers. She smiled and just like Kaylie less than a minute ago, she felt heat spread over her cheeks.

"You're blushing," Sasha said with a self satisfied smile. She elbowed him lightly.

"Don't get too full of yourself. It's only because there are so many people around," Payson said. Sasha just nodded like he didn't believe her.

"Nice Kelly. Again, and try to finish twisting a little faster," Sasha instructed. Kelly nodded and moved back to the end of the run without a word. Payson could tell she was in her focused zone. Since the two of them were competing All Around, they only had one chance on vault. It had to be perfect.

"I enjoyed dinner with your family last week," Sasha said. Payson felt herself blush again when she thought about how he had kissed her on the back patio, pressing her up against the side of her house and slipping his hand up her shirt, and how exhilarating it had felt knowing her parents could walk out at any second.

"My mom loves you," she said. She caught the way Sasha's face tensed out of the corner of her eye and she frowned.

"She wouldn't if she knew about us," Sasha said darkly. Payson nudged him with her elbow. Really, she wanted to take his hand, but that was out of the question.

"What about us? There's nothing going on, remember?" Payson said, echoing all the times he'd said nothing was all that different between them. He smiled just a little and then pushed her towards the vault as Kelly landed.

"Much better, Kelly. Payson, remember, I want it to look easy."

She turned, walking backwards for a few steps as she gave him a salute. "Yes sir."

#

Kim hummed a little as she worked, moving freely around the office. She loved sharing a space with Sasha, but she liked it best when he was out on the floor with the gymnasts. When he was at his desk, she always felt like she had to be careful, mindful of what he was doing and whether or not she might be disturbing him.

Not at that moment though. He was working with Kelly and Payson at the vault, so Kim was free to hum and dance and be a little silly. There was no one to disturb but herself. Smiling, she looked out at the floor.

Payson completed what looked like an incredible, flawless vault. Of course, Sasha and Payson would find flaw with it, but Kim sure couldn't. To her it looked like her eldest daughter was weightless, floating like a feather tossed by the wind. She saw Payson stand in front of Sasha, hands on her hips. Sasha's hands covered her shoulders as he stooped a little so that he was at eye-level.

She blinked. Had she imagined it, or had Sasha's thumbs been stroking gently across her daughter's collarbone? No, she had imagined it, because on second look Sasha's thumbs were still and his hands were dropping from Payson's shoulders.

Kim lost herself watching the girls, alternating between Payson and Kelly. Sasha seemed more at ease coaching the two of them than any of the others; he touched them freely and seemed to hardly have to finish his sentences before the girls were taking the words right out of his mouth. The three of them were a special team.

Before she knew it, Sasha was sending the girls over to the uneven bars. He turned to watch them go, facing towards the office, and Kim frowned. They way he watched Payson, and only Payson, move took her breath away. It wasn't lewd, there was nothing sexual about it; his eyes didn't travel her body or follow the sway of her hips. In fact, he was staring at the back of her head. What made her heart beat harder was the pure adoration, dare she say love, in his eyes. She'd never seen his gaze so soft before, missing his trademark arrogant spark.

Was Sasha in love with her daughter? Was it her business? Of course it was her business, Payson was her daughter, but Sasha didn't seem to be pushing her or making any inappropriate advances. And would it be so terrible if he was? Granted, she didn't want anything to happen between them for years, if it ever did, not until Payson was grown and maybe even done with college, but Sasha was a good man. No, he was a great man. Would it be so bad for someone like him to be in love with her daughter?

"Kim?"

She nearly hit the ceiling when Sasha said her name. She hadn't noticed him cross the gym and duck back inside the office.

"Huh?" Kim asked, her heart in her throat.

"I asked if you were okay, you seem a little pale," Sasha said, eyeing her carefully. Kim swallowed. Up close, Kim could see the tiny lines around Sasha's eyes, the ones that reminded her just how much older than Payson he actually was.

"Oh yes, I'm fine," Kim promised. But she wasn't. What was she thinking? There would never come a time when it was okay for Sasha and Payson to be together, no matter what kind of man he was, because he is, and always would be, her coach.

Kim needed a way to gently urge Sasha away from her daughter. Even if Payson shared his feelings, feelings beyond the little crush everyone knew she had, and even if Sasha really and truly loved her daughter, Kim knew that the sooner she set him on a different course, the better off they would all be.

"Sasha, are you seeing anyone?" she asked. Sasha laughed and shook his head.

"No, but I think Mark would object to us having an affair," he teased. Kim laughed, but it sounded forced; strained and high pitched even to her own ears.

"I meant…well I was wondering if I could set you up with someone. I know things didn't work out well with Summer, but you shouldn't be alone," she said, trying to make it sound like she was solely concerned with his happiness instead of his feelings for her daughter.

"Thank you, Kim, for your concern," Sasha said with that bashful smile that always made him look younger. "But I'm not ready to jump back into the dating pool just yet."

#

Payson was working on the beam, trying to fix those extensions Austin and Kelly had mentioned, when her mom came out of the office, done for the day. Payson could feel her watching, waiting, but she forced herself to concentrate on the moves until she hit the dismount. She stumbled a little on her landing, she hadn't quite gotten all the way around on her double pike.

"Ready to go home, hon?" her mom asked, watching her expectantly. Payson shook her head, lifting herself back onto the beam to work on her dismount some more.

"Not yet. I won't be too long though, home in time for dinner I promise," she said, glancing at the clock. Dinner was at seven, which gave her just over an hour before she had to hit the showers.

She noticed her mom look back over her shoulder at the office, frowning, and Payson's pulse started to race. She'd never balked at Payson staying late before, had something happened? Did she know?

"Okay, sweetie," she finally said with a sigh. "Home by seven."

"I promise." Payson watched her mom leave and then turned her focus back to the beam.

"You're still not hitting the rotation on your double pike just right," Sasha said, coming down the stairs. Payson huffed.

"I know. Did you say something to my mom?"

"About what?" Sasha asked. Payson rolled her eyes.

"About anything? She seemed…weird, when she left." Sasha's brow furrowed.

"I didn't, but she did seem not herself this afternoon."

"Did we slip at all?" Payson asked, wracking her brain for any moment that might have been too obvious. She couldn't remember any.

"Not any more than usual. I'm sure she was just having a bad day," Sasha promised. "If she knew, or even suspected anything, we would have heard about it. I don't think your mom is the type to keep quiet about the issue."

"You're right, I guess," Payson conceded. Sasha smiled, reaching out and smoothing his hands over her face before leaning in and pressing a kiss to hear forehead.

"Fancy a run?" he asked. She smiled.

"Yeah."

#

Kim kept one eye on the clock as she set the table for dinner, trying to keep herself busy until Payson got home. She wasn't sure why she was so on edge; Sasha's feeling certainly couldn't be new, and she had always trusted him with Payson before. Why shouldn't she now? If anything, she should almost trust Sasha more, trust that he would protect Payson from anything, even himself. He was that kind of man. But knowing that Payson was alone in the gym with a man who loved her, who she might love in return, made her itch.

"Hey mom!" Payson said, breezing in the door and heading straight for her room.

"Payson, honey, can I talk to you a minute?" Kim asked, following quickly after her. Payson was unpacking her bag, tossing her leo and sweats into the laundry hamper. Her hair was wet and she wore jeans and a simple tank top, she'd clearly showered and changed before coming home.

"Uh, sure. What's up?" Kim thought she saw apprehension flash in Payson's eyes, but her daughter was a teenager, wasn't it hard wired in them to be apprehensive of parents who wanted to talk? She certainly always had been.

"I just….wanted to check in, see how things are going at the gym. With Sasha," Kim added. Payson frowned.

"What do you mean?" Kim sank down onto Payson's bed, patting the space next to her. Payson sat down too, curling her legs beneath her and kicking off her tennis shoes.

"Well, you guys didn't have much time to work through what happened before he left, and then with the situation with Lauren," Kim stammered, unsure of how to broach the subject. "And you're back working so closely with each other, I just wanted to make sure you're okay with everything. I mean, do you still…have a crush on him?"

Payson's cheeks flamed bright pink and she looked down at her comforter, picked at it.

"No, Mom, I don't have a crush on Sasha. I know you think we didn't have time to work through it before he…left." Kim thought she heard Payson's voice hitch and wondered how much pain Sasha's departure had really caused her. "But we did. There really wasn't a whole lot to work through."

"So you're fine working with him again?" Kim asked. She watched her daughter carefully, trying to find any hint of what may or may not be happening between them.

"More than fine. I promise."

Kim realized she didn't have any choice but to trust her daughter.

**A/N: So this chapter is sort of short, but I'm back on a roll! I have the next few chapters outlined so hopefully you won't have to wait too long before the next update. **

**A huge thank you to Barrel of Monkeys, CuteLikeMomiji, Kissin Concern, flowerchild3286, poppetrussell, Ida-cullen, Abby, JCI, mArTiNaMcBrIdErOx91, madaboutalice123, LauraW89, Tayler Snape13, and brokenangelwings16 for your reviews! You guys are amazing!**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter! It will make the next one come that much faster ;) Also, if you haven't yet, go check out the final chapter of When Your Heart Wears Thin!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Ready?" Sasha asked, holding tightly to Payson's waist. She nodded, reaching up above her head, ready to grab the high bar as soon as her fingers touched it. Sasha bent his knees, bracing to lift her slight weight. "On three; one, two, three."

She jumped and felt him lifting her up, helping her reach the high bar. She held on tightly and started swinging her legs to build momentum as soon as he stepped out of the way.

"Okay, remember the timing of your release," Sasha warned. She grunted, swinging around the bar a few times. Timing was everything on this move, or Payson could break her neck.

Her grips scraped against the fiberglass. There was a sharp clang as she let go of the bars, leaving them vibrating with the force of her movements, and she twisted her body, reaching back out to catch it again. Her grips slapped the high bar, but her fingers were a fraction of a second too late in closing.

She slipped.

She heard a sharp cry and thought maybe it came from her. She couldn't help but flash back to her fall at Nationals. It felt like a lifetime ago, but also so recent that she was still a little terrified to fall. She imagined how it would feel to hit the mat, hard; she'd been passed out the last time. Would she be able to hear her back break again?

She never found out. Sasha's arms went around her, pulling her into his chest like something precious and fragile as his knees bent slightly, absorbing the impact. She thought she felt him shaking.

"You okay?" He asked. Payson nodded, clearing her throat.

"I'm okay," she promised. Still he didn't put her down. If anything, his grip tightened.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice gruff.

"I'm sure." Finally, he set her on her feet, but he didn't let her go. Pulling her close, he hugged her tightly. Payson felt safe and loved, like Sasha was her guardian angel.

After a moment the embrace changed. Electricity started to jump between them as Sasha's fingers flexed against her back, one of his hands drifting up to bury itself in her hair. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and her temple before he buried his face in the crook of her neck. She could feel the heat of his breath on her skin, the silk of his lips brushing back and forth. She shivered.

Payson needed more, wanted more. She felt like he was teasing her, building up to something he wouldn't actually give her. Turning her head, she angled her face up for a kiss.

He obliged. At first it was just a brush of his lips against hers, soft like a breeze, before he kissed her a little more insistently and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue. She mewled, opening her mouth beneath his and gasping as his tongue swept inside.

He pulled her closer, even though there was no more empty space between them, lifting her slightly off the ground. Their tongues dueled, lighting a fire that burned low in Payson's stomach, warming her entire body, and she gripped his shoulders hard, trying to anchor herself.

"Bloody hell," Sasha swore, pulling himself away. Payson looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes. The absence of his lips against hers felt like losing a part of herself.

"Don't stop," she begged, weaving her fingers through his hair and guiding him back to her.

"I could drown in you," Sasha muttered against her lips as he claimed her once again.

Payson lost all track of time as they stood in the center of the gym, wrapped up in each other. She allowed her hands to explore Sasha's torso, slipping beneath his shirt to trace the lines of his stomach. She delighted in the way his muscles tensed under her touch, in the groan that rumbled through his chest as one hand drifted around to squeeze his butt.

For a moment, Payson forgot they were at the Rock. She wished he would pick her up and carry her to his room, lay her out on his bed…she felt herself blush. She had never thought about doing…that with a guy before but with Sasha, somehow it was all she thought about. Every time he kissed her like he was, she just wanted him to keep going. He never would, she was sure of it, at least not until after the Olympics. That was one of the many things she loved about him, his unwillingness to let her compromise her goals.

A low rumble reached her ears and for a moment she thought Sasha was making it. Then she heard the clang of the main doors and realized it had been Austin's motorcycle. And Kaylie had probably been on the back.

She jumped away from Sasha, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth and turning away so that they couldn't see her swollen, red lips. She didn't care about her hair, it always got messy when she was working so they would buy it.

"What…?" Sasha trailed off until he heard Austin's voice.

"Reporting for duty, oh captain, my captain!" Austin shouted. Payson snorted, even though her heart was still racing. She heard Sasha clear his throat.

"Get started with twenty minutes of cardio, both of you," Sasha said. There were a couple beats of silence and then Payson heard Austin and Kaylie moving towards the fitness center. Kaylie's laughter rang out and Payson figured it was safe to turn around.

Sasha looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff. He nodded towards the office and started moving without waiting for Payson. She hurried after him. Payson knew what he was going to say. She was thinking it too.

Payson slipped into the office and closed the door behind her. Sasha was sitting in his chair, his head in his hands.

"We have to stop this," Payson muttered, leaning against the sliding glass door. She was afraid that if she moved any farther into the office they would end up right back where they'd started.

"We almost got caught," Sasha agreed, his voice muffled.

"New rule: no more kissing in the gym," Payson suggested. Sasha snorted.

"So essentially no more kissing at all," he said. Payson shrugged.

"I guess. We just need to be more careful, Sasha. I wouldn't be able to stand it if your career was ruined because of me. And I need you here to coach me, not some drone the NGO would probably try to replace you with," Payson said. That made Sasha smile.

"Go join Austin and Kaylie in cardio. We'll keep working on the bars later, when there are witnesses." He winked at her. She wanted so badly to go over and kiss him but she settled for winking back.

"Right, witnesses."

#

"Good work today, ladies and gentlemen. See you bright and early tomorrow morning. Kelly, Payson, and Austin could the three of your please meet me in the office?" Sasha asked, a week after he and Payson were almost caught making out in the middle of the Rock.

The three of them were taking off the next morning for a long weekend of photo shoots and interviews, and he had some instructions for them. Just because they wouldn't be at the Rock didn't mean they were free of him.

"What's up, Sasha?" Kelly asked. They seated themselves on the couch in the office. Sasha leaned back against Kim's desk, closest to Payson. No matter what, no matter how careful they were trying to be, he always had a burning need to be as close to her as possible.

"The hotels may not have the facilities for you to work on skills, but you will not slack this weekend, got it? I want forty five minutes of cardio and thirty minutes of lifting every morning," Sasha demanded. They all nodded. He took a moment to look over them, to make sure that they were taking him seriously. He knew he didn't really have to worry; they were his three best gymnasts, the most dedicated and self directing athletes he'd ever seen. He knew they would work first and play later.

"Go home. Payson would stay just a moment?" He asked. He wanted a chance to say a more private goodbye. He saw Kelly hesitate at the doorway, looking back at Payson over her shoulder, who waved her away.

"Just wait for me at the car, I'll be right out," Payson promised. Kelly left, closing the door behind her. "She's staying at my house tonight, since we have to leave for the airport so early."

"I won't keep you then," Sasha said, reaching for her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. "I just wanted to say goodbye and be safe this weekend. And have fun."

Payson smiled, and it made his heart stutter. He'd never been an especially sappy man, but Payson reduced him to mush every time she smiled.

"I will, promise."

"I'll miss you," he sighed. Payson took a step closer to him, leaning into his chest and reaching up to brush her lips lightly against his. She pulled away almost immediately, afraid they would get sucked in by their desire.

"I'll miss you too, but maybe this will good for us. You know?" Payson said, sounding a little unsure of herself. Sasha knew exactly what she meant; they need time away from each other, to get perspective.

"I know. Go, we don't want Kelly to come searching," he teased. Payson surged up to press one more quick kiss to his lips and then she hurried out.

Sasha stared after her, wishing he could have kept her with him forever.

#

"Ah, it's two of my favorite girls! Good morning!" Austin called from the top step of the private plane MJ had chartered to fly them to New York. Payson groaned. It was five o'clock in the morning, way too early for Austin to be as perky as he was.

"Shut up," Kelly growled beside her. Payson snorted out a laugh. They handed their suitcases to the man waiting at the bottom of the stairs and then climbed up, taking Austin's offered hands as he helped them inside. Payson smiled at his chivalry; he was a true gentleman.

"Morning, ladies," MJ's said in her smooth British accent. She was already seated near the back of the plane, in one of the plush leather chairs, face buried in her Blackberry.

"Morning MJ," Payson mumbled. She sank into another of the chairs, curling up and hoping to spend the two hour flight sleeping. Once they landed it would be non-stop interviews, photo shoots, and appearances until late, she needed to get all the sleep she could.

"Here's your itinerary for the weekend," MJ said, putting away her phone and handing small black binders to Payson, Kelly, and Austin. Payson didn't bother opening it, she knew MJ would run down their engagements. "As soon as we land we'll be taken to the Good Morning America set for an interview. After that there will be a lunch interview with People Magazine, then Kelly and Payson will head to a Cosmo photo shoot and interview while Austin goes to the GQ offices. Then we'll meet back for an appearance at FAO Schwartz, then dinner with reps from Longines. After that you'll be putting in an appearance at a gala and then it's back to the hotel for sleep. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning will be much of the same. Questions?"

"They're not planning on anything too…sexy for the Cosmo shoot are they?" Payson asked. She and MJ had discussed keeping her image as American Sweetheart as possible and Cosmo didn't exactly fit the bill.

"No, I've already discussed guidelines with them. The photo shoot that will accompany the interview is going to be relatively small, and then you'll be shooting another with Austin for a fashion spread, though that shoot is on Sunday," MJ explained. Payson nodded, setting her binder aside and closing her eyes.

"Mk," she muttered. And then she was asleep.

Payson didn't wake up until the plane was about to land. Austin reached over and rubbed her arm, waking her gently, and then reached out with his foot and nudged Kelly's shoe. It was safer to keep your distance when waking up Kelly Parker, she usually came out swinging.

"If you touch me again I'll rip your head off," Kelly growled. Austin chuckled.

"We're ten minutes from landing, Kelly," MJ said. Kelly sighed but still didn't open her eyes. Payson sat up, rubbing her eyes and shoving her feet back into her flip flops.

"So we're going straight to Good Morning America?" Austin asked.

"Yes. Wardrobe and Hair and Make-up will be taken care of once we get there," MJ said. The plane gave a jerk as it started descending to JFK airport.

The next hour or so was a blur as they left the plane, piled into a limo, and were ushered into the Good Morning America offices. Hair and Make-up artists descended on them, pulling at Payson's hair and painting her face. She was certain she would never get used to that part of being a "celebrity;" the constant fussing by other people, the costumes. They put her in a conservative but trendy outfit, a sailor-style dress and boots, her hair twisted into a braid. Kelly got an edgier look, but still conservative enough that she was a perfect role model for little girls.

"Ready for our adoring public?" Austin asked, leaning against the door of the dressing room in a dashing suit.

Payson was standing, ready to leave with Austin and Kelly, when her phone chirped from its place in her purse.

"One second, I'll catch up," she promised. Austin and Kelly exchanged a look, but went ahead. Pulling her phone out, Payson pulled up the unread text message.

_S: It's cold here. _

There was a hidden meaning behind those three little words; code for he missed her. She smiled.

_P: I'm sure it will warm up in a few days. _

#

"Now Kelly, Payson, you're both beautiful girls, how does a social life fit in to all this training you do?" George Stephanopoulos asked, flashing his bright smile at the girls. Kelly and Payson exchanged a look.

"Well," Payson said, taking the lead. "The Olympic Trials are so close and we're working so hard, very few of us have time for much of a social life."

"So no boyfriends?" Kelly laughed.

"No, George, no boyfriends. There's a firm no dating rule at the Rock," Kelly explained. Payson stifled a giggle as she imagined Sasha watching and snorting. There was still a no-dating rule, but nobody followed it.

"But I thought…Austin, aren't you dating fellow Rock gymnast Kaylie Cruz?" George asked. Austin flashed his trademark smirk and winked at the cameras.

"Secret's out. Yes, Kaylie and I are dating but we have the permission of our coach and I'm sure that if it were distracting either of us from our goals, Sasha would put an end to it," Austin teased. George seemed to think Austin was joking, but instead of pressing the issue he changed direction.

"Speaking of Sasha, Payson there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding your comeback because of him, isn't that right?" George asked. Payson felt heat rise in her cheeks at the same time that Kelly stiffened next to her. Austin nearly lunged out of his seat but Payson plastered on a smile and pinched him hard in the side, so the cameras couldn't see.

"Sasha has been an incredible coach to me. When I broke my back, everyone said I was done. Even once I had my surgery and managed to come back, they said I would never be competitive again. Sasha believed in me before I could believe in myself. The relationship between a gymnast and their coach is something very few people can understand, so of course there were whispers. But Sasha was never anything but the picture of professionalism," Payson explained, all the while thinking how she wished she was wrapped in his arms.

"And how is your back feeling now?" George must have sensed the waves of rage rolling off of Austin and decided to change course yet again. Payson gave Austin a smile, silently thanking him for being so protective of her.

"Better than ever, George."

"And Kelly, your ankle? It's been giving you some trouble recently, hasn't it?" Kelly batted her eyelashes at him.

"I'm in top shape, George, ready to take on the competition."

"Including your friend Payson?" Kelly laughed and looked at Payson.

"Including my best friend Payson."

"Bring it on. My DOD is higher than yours," Payson said, winking to take some of the sting out of it. Kelly elbowed her gently and they laughed together. Payson loved that she and Kelly were on the same page. With Lauren and Kaylie, talking about DOD and competition always became something hostile, she felt like she had to walk on eggshells to keep from causing a fight. But with Kelly, it was what it was. Her DOD was higher, and Kelly had no problem admitting it. They were both just going to go out and do their best, and whoever won was meant to.

"Sounds like we have a challenge," George laughed.

"And you'll all just have to wait until London to find out who wins," Kelly said.

"How about you, Austin? The second ranked Men's gymnast is Russia, do you find yourself challenged at the Rock, and on the National team?" George asked. Austin nodded and Payson could see he was trying to come up with a diplomatic answer. The truth was there wasn't a male gymnast in America who could even compare. Not Max, not Nicky, not Carter.

"The Men's National team has a lot of depth, and I have incredible teammates at the Rock, but I've always pushed myself harder than any competitor can push me. I think the only person who pushes me as hard as I push myself is Sasha," Austin said. "And that's probably because he sees a lot of himself in me."

They shared a laugh. It all felt very forced to Payson. She hated television interviews. Print was different, it felt more like a regular conversation, but when thirty cameras were pointed at you all the genuineness went out of it.

"Well that's all we have for now. After the break we'll see just what these gymnasts can do," George said, looking straight into the camera. A few seconds later the producer yelled out that they'd gone to commercial and Payson, Kelly, and Austin jumped out of their chairs. They were ushered back to the dressing room to change for a demonstration.

Payson's phone was blinking.

_S: Don't you dare hurt yourself. Tell Kelly and Austin the same._

The text had been sent just moments ago. Payson smiled; he was watching from the office.

"Sasha says we'd better not hurt ourselves," Payson announced. Kelly snorted.

"What's he doing, shutting himself in the office to watch our interview?" Payson shrugged, even though she knew that was exactly what he was doing.

"Must be, I guess. Come on."

#

Three and a half exhausting days later, they were on a plane back home. Payson couldn't wait to sleep in her own bed, and to work in her own gym. She missed the thin mountain air, the crispness.

"I have an idea," MJ said, breaking through the silence. Payson groaned, her agent was apparently already planning next month's weekend.

"Yes?" Austin drawled. Payson could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He put on a good show, but all the whirlwind publicity took as much out of him as it did Payson and Kelly.

"Well you know that there's an exhibition being held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in a couple weeks…" MJ started

"That meet the hopefuls thing?" Austin asked. MJ nodded.

"Yes. Sports Illustrated is covering it, and I thought it might be beneficial to bring them to the Rock the week before to do a 'day in the life' type of piece," MJ suggested. Payson blanched. Reporters in the Rock never ended well, ever. And Sasha hated it; he would go ballistic if MJ even hinted at it.

Payson looked over at Kelly and Austin and knew they were all thinking the same thing. Not only was Sasha going to freak, but they also didn't really want to taint the sanctity of their gym. The Rock was a sacred space where they were free to suck, free to mess up, and free to fall, but if they let the people at Sports Illustrated into their sanctuary they would have to posture, they would have to be perfect.

"MJ, I don't know if that's a good…" Austin started.

"Let me rephrase, Austin. I've already spoken with Sports Illustrated, and they love the idea. This isn't me asking you, it's me giving you fair warning," MJ said. Payson and Kelly traded a skeptical look.

"Have you asked Sasha about this yet?" Kelly asked. MJ shrugged.

"No," she said. Her tone said that she didn't think Sasha would be an obstacle. Clearly, she didn't know him as well as she thought she did. Payson snorted.

"Maybe you should let us talk to Sasha about this," Payson suggested. MJ quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You can broach the subject with him," she conceded. "Just make sure he knows that no isn't an option."

Payson scowled. She was not looking forward to that conversation.

**A/N: I LOVE you all so much for your reviews. Seriously, this chapter came so easily because of you So, many thanks to threewishes6716, aladkinson, Kissin Concern, elliemarie84, Ida-cullen, LauraW89, and poppetrussell. You guys are amazing!**

**Hope you all liked (or loved) this chapter! We have a lot of fun and drama coming for Payson and Sasha, so stay tuned! And you know, reviews make me write faster! ;)**

**Let me know what you thought!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I think the trick will be to approach him together," Payson whispered as she, Kelly, and Austin gathered around the water cooler on Tuesday morning.

"Won't he feel, I don't know, ambushed?" Kelly asked. Payson looked to Austin and shrugged.

"Maybe, but do you want to talk to him alone?" Payson asked. Kelly's eyes went wide and she shook her head.

"Pay, maybe you should talk to him. He likes you," Austin suggested. Payson huffed and rolled her eyes, hoping she didn't blush.

"He likes all of us," she said.

"Yeah, but you're allowed to say things we're not. He never gets mad at you. Come on, PK, please?" Kelly begged. Payson's shoulders slumped and Kelly cheered, knowing her friend was giving in.

"Great. He's in the office. Go," Austin insisted, giving Payson a little push. She glared over her shoulder at them and then took the stairs two at a time.

Her mother was nowhere to be found and Payson breathed a sigh of relief. At least she would get a few seconds alone with Sasha, even if he was going to spend it yelling at her.

"Hey," he said, looking up in surprise.

"Hey," Payson said, biting her lip against a smile and looking at the floor.

"You okay?" He asked, his eyes narrowed shrewdly. Payson laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm fine. Listen, MJ had an idea this weekend…"

"Oh bloody hell," Sasha groaned, reaching up to massage his forehead. "I'm not going to like this am I?"

"No. You know the event at the OTC that's coming up?" Payson asked. Sasha nodded. "Well apparently the Sports Illustrated people want to come here the day before we leave and do a "day in the life" piece on Austin, Kelly, and me."

Sasha shook his head, releasing a slow breath. Payson saw the muscles in his jaw twitch and braced herself for the yelling she knew was coming.

It didn't.

"Fine," he grumbled.

"What?" Payson asked, taking a few steps closer to him. Sasha laughed, a low, gruff sound that sent thrills down her spine. She wished there weren't a gym full of teenagers outside the office.

"I don't really have a choice, do I? Besides, between you and MJ, I have no chance of winning the argument. What day is it and how much time is it going to take out of your training?" Sasha asked, grabbing a pen and clearing a stack of papers off his desk calendar.

Payson was speechless. Sasha never conceded to anything that easily. Did she really wield that much power?

"Payson?" Sasha prompted. Payson shook herself out of her stupor and moved closer so that she could see the calendar.

Standing behind him, she put a hand on his shoulder for balance and leaned forward, pointing to the day of the photo shoot. She felt his muscles bunch under her fingers and smiled while he quickly scrawled the information in the little box.

"I wish we were alone right now," Sasha said, so quietly Payson almost didn't hear him. Glancing at the door, Payson leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the line of his jaw, smiling as his scruff tickled her lips.

"Me too," she whispered. "I'll be out on the floor."

#

"Sasha! Didn't we learn our lesson the last time?" Payson asked in a harsh whisper as Sasha's lips trailed down her neck. If anyone were to walk into the office, there would be no question what they were up to; Payson was perched on Sasha's desk, he was standing between her legs with his hand up her shirt and his face buried in her neck.

Payson squirmed away from his mouth.

"Don't leave a mark!" she hissed. Sasha chuckled, his hot breath puffing across her skin.

"I'm not," he said, pulling back and sticking his lower lip out in a pout. Payson couldn't help but laugh; he looked ridiculous, like a little boy being chastised for stealing the last cookie.

"Sasha, Austin, Kaylie, and Kelly are going to be here any minute, and the Sports Illustrated people shortly after that. We have to stop right now or we're going to get caught," Payson said. She hated to be the one to put the brakes on, more than anyone would ever know, but the last thing she wanted was to get caught and ruin Sasha's career. Again.

"I hate this," Sasha grumbled. Payson smiled, running her fingers through his hair.

"Me too," she whispered. Sasha wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against his chest. Payson snuggled into the embrace, pressing her face into his chest, right above his heart. The rhythmic thumping matched her own pulse.

"Come over tonight?" Sasha asked. Payson nodded. She needed to be with him, to be held by him, without fear of being caught.

"Of course."

Payson disentangled herself from his arms and ran her fingers through her hair. She'd left it down since they were doing a photo shoot first and working out later. Sasha loved her hair down.

"Hello? Anybody home?" Kelly called out. Payson peeked out at the floor and saw Kelly dropping her back by the observation room windows.

"Hey," Payson said, jogging down the stairs to meet her friend.

"Hey. Coach helping you add more insane elements to your routine so your DOD will be even higher than mine?" Kelly asked, jerking her chin towards the office. Payson laughed.

"Maybe," she teased. "So, ready to be painted and posed like little dolls?"

"Oh Payson," Kelly sighed, shaking her head. "When are you going to learn to enjoy all of this? We're elite athletes who practically live at the gym, how often do we get to actually feel like girls? This is Heaven!"

"Kelly Parker, you are so shallow," Payson said, only half meaning it. Kelly just waved her away.

#

"Ladies, can we get Kelly on Austin's left arm and Payson on Austin's right, please?" The photographer asked. Payson and Kelly moved where they were told and the photographer's assistant finished posing them just the way he wanted. Payson grimaced. Kelly was sort of right, the clothes and the pampering were nice, but she hated being posed like Gumby.

"A guy could get used to this," Austin joked, looking down at Payson and Kelly. "Two of the gymnastics world's most beautiful women hanging all over me? Pinch me, I'm dreaming."

Payson obliged, maybe a little harder than was necessary.

"Ow! That better not leave a mark Keeler," he growled. Payson laughed.

"Or what?" she challenged. Austin's eyes narrowed. He let go of Kelly and attacked, tickling Payson mercilessly.

"Or this!"

Payson shrieked and tried to dance away, but Austin had a firm grip and kept on tickling her. Payson squirmed, slapping at Austin's arms, even as she laughed so hard she could barely breathe. The photographer went nuts, snapping picture after picture.

"Payson's laughter died when she noticed Sasha standing at the top of the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. Austin must have noticed too, because he set her down and switched to torturing Kelly. Though maybe not, because he did it all without missing a beat.

Soon enough the three of them were chasing each other around the gym. The photographer stopped shouting directions and just let them play, snapping a million shots of the three in their natural habitat.

"That's enough," Sasha's voice echoed through the gym. Everyone stopped in their tracks, silenced by his tone, the one that still intimidated even Payson. "They need to get to work. You can do your interviews and do whatever else you need to do while they're on breaks, but if you distract my gymnasts for even one moment, you're out."

"Yes, Sasha," Kelly, Austin, and Payson chorused before scampering off to the locker room to change.

#

That night, Payson told her parents she was going to Kelly's house. Kelly agreed to cover for her without asking why and Payson drove over to Sasha's apartment. He'd been surly all day, even after he kicked the Sports Illustrated people out and Payson wondered if they would spend a pleasant evening together or if he was going to be difficult.

She knocked on the door and waited. It was silent beyond the door, she couldn't even hear him moving around. Then the door opened to reveal a shirtless Sasha and a dim living room, candles spread all around and filling the room with a gentle glow. Payson's breath hitched in her throat.

"Hey," he said, his voice a low purr. Payson's knees nearly buckled as her insides turned to mush. She couldn't help but stare at the smooth, well defined planes of his chest and stomach.

"H-hi," she stammered. A small smile played across Sasha's face as he stood aside and let her in. Payson shook her head clear of the lusty thoughts flashing through her mind. "Don't think for a second that being half naked is going to get you off the hook."

"Off the hook?" Sasha asked, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at her, his eyes glinting. Payson took a breath, steeling her resolve.

"You were jealous this morning, and you were a rude jerk all day because of it," Payson accused. Sasha's face hardened and a strange thrill raced through Payson, settling low in her stomach. Sasha took a step towards her.

"You're right, I was jealous. Watching Austin put his hands all over you, have fun with you without worrying what it looked like…I wanted to hit him," Sasha said, his voice soft but his words clear. He took another step forward, and another, until he was standing so close that Payson had to tilt her head back to see his face. He didn't touch her though, his hands stayed in his pockets.

"Well…that's stupid," Payson said. She was having a hard time concentrating with Sasha so close and so shirtless.

One of Sasha's hands came up to brush the hair away from her face, trailing down her cheek before sliding around to grasp the back of her neck. He leaned forward, his lips hovering just a breath away from Payson's.

"I'm sorry, love," he whispered. Payson felt his breath ghosting across her lips and she swayed forward. "I'll never behave that badly again."

And then he kissed her. Unlike that morning in the office, there was no rush, no urgency in his kiss. He teased her, his tongue darting out to flick against hers before pulling back, brushing his lips against hers, never fully committing. Payson whimpered, her hands came up to run over her chest and stomach, scratching lightly against his skin.

"Sasha," she begged. He was still holding himself away from her, torturing her. She felt him smile against her lips and then he reached for her, closing the distance between them and slanting his lips over hers. His hand left her neck, smoothing down her shoulder and then over her back before she felt the warmth of his fingers against her surgery scars. He traced them briefly and then his hand flattened against her back, drifting up until he hit the clasp of her bra.

Payson's breath hitched as she wondered what he would do. Despite their frenzied make out sessions in the gym, and the night on his couch after she'd found out Lauren leaked the video, he had never exposed her like that, never touched her without the barrier of her bra. Payson shivered, wondering what it would feel like when he did.

"Take it off," she whispered, worrying his earlobe between her teeth. He shivered violently. Then, pulling back he lifted her shirt over her head, pausing a moment to admire her, before reaching back and unclasping her bra.

Payson sucked in a breath when they were pressed chest to chest with nothing separating their skin. Sasha kissed her, hard, and suddenly it was like they were in the gym and would never have enough time together. His arms were like steel bands around her waist and after a moment he listed her up, urging her to wrap her legs around his waist, settling his hands over her bum as he carried her into the bedroom.

#

"Whoa," Kaylie breathed as she, Kelly, and Payson stood in the middle of the floor at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

"Right?" Kelly said. It wouldn't be for long, but at that moment the gymnasium was empty, like a sanctuary. Payson breathed it in. She couldn't wait to actually be training there after she made the Olympic Team.

"Ladies," Sasha's voice echoed through the cavernous space, even though he kept it low. "You'll need to change soon. Warm ups are in twenty."

"Yes Sasha," they chorused breathlessly. His footsteps echoed as he left the gym, probably to some coach's meeting.

A few moments later noise exploded through the gym as the rest of the gymnasts arrived. Payson sighed and turned towards the locker room.

She ran straight into Lauren Tanner.

"Well, well, look who's here," Lauren said, like Payson was the last person she expected to be. Behind Payson, Kaylie squealed and lunged forward to hug Lauren and Kelly moved up to Payson's right, flanking her, giving her support.

"Lauren," Payson greeted tersely.

"Where's your boyfriend? Off scamming on other impressionable sixteen year-olds?" Lauren asked, cocking one hip and arching an eyebrow, giving Payson her best challenging look. Payson felt Kelly tense beside her.

"You are such a bitch, Lauren," Kelly snapped. She started forward, ready to pound on the bottle blonde, but Payson grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to stop.

"She's not worth it, Kelly," Payson hissed.

"I don't know, it would make me feel so much better," Kelly said, sneering at Lauren. Lauren just shrugged and examined her fingernails, but Payson could see the slight shake in her hand. She was scared of Kelly Parker.

"Come on. She'll get what's coming to her," Payson said, pulling Kelly away towards the locker room so they could change. Kaylie frowned after them, sticking by Lauren's side. It didn't bother Payson, not really, she had known all along where Kaylie's loyalties lay.

"Good luck today. I hope you don't fall and break your back…again," Lauren called out. Payson just shook her head.

Lauren Tanner wasn't worth her time.

#

"Payson, we were all so impressed with your routines today, Kelly's too. They were simply breathtaking," one journalist told Payson as the post exhibition reception. Everyone, athletes from every discipline and reporters from all sorts of media outlets, were dressed to the nines, schmoozing each other.

"Thank you," Payson said politely, catching Sasha's eye across the room. He made her heart race in his black dress slacks and crisp white dress shirt. "But you haven't seen anything yet. Those weren't the routines we're taking to the Olympics."

"No? How much harder can they get?" the woman asked. Payson smiled.

"My DOD will rise by a full point on each event, and Kelly's will raise at least half a point, a full point in some cases."

"Oh my. Well you've certainly given us something to look forward too. I'll stop monopolizing your time," she said, slipping back into the crowd. Payson breathed a sigh of relief.

There was a DJ playing music, trying to get people to take advantage of the dance floor. Austin and Kaylie were already there, holding each other tightly and looking like the world's most perfect couple. Kelly was flirting with a waiter, Payson could hear it in her laugh, and Sasha…he was just leaning against the wall, watching her. His eyes burned a hole through form fitting, black lace dress Kelly had practically forced her to wear.

"Care to dance?" He asked, offering his hand as she drew closer. Payson looked around the room.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Payson asked, shifting from foot to foot in her nude heels. She knew they made her legs look miles long, and smiled as Sasha's eyes took a moment to travel the length of her body.

"I don't bloody well care," he answered, taking her hand without waiting for her answer and leading her to the floor. It wasn't necessarily a bad idea; coaches were dancing with their athletes, even reporters were dancing with the athletes while they tried to get a quote. But for Sasha and Payson, with so much controversy just barely behind them, it was like walking into the lion's den.

Sasha gave her a little spin as they walked onto the dance floor and then pulled her close. Maybe not as close as he would have if they were alone, but close enough. Payson resisted the urge to lean her head against his chest.

"You looked great out there today," Sasha said quietly. Payson felt heat rising in her cheeks and smiled.

"Thanks. I think Kelly and I are going to rock it in London."

"Good. Then I'll expect my gold medal back," Sasha teased, his fingers tightening on her waist. It tickled, and she fought a giggle. Payson wished she could kiss him, and the look in his eyes said he was thinking the same thing. He swayed towards her and Payson's eyes fluttered closed as she tilted her head up to meet his lips.

And then Payson was being shifted around, landing in arms that weren't Sasha's. She opened her eyes to see Austin's broad frame spinning her around the floor. Kelly had taken her place with Sasha.

"You two were attracting attention," Austin said softly before he spun her beneath his arm. Only her skills as a gymnast kept her from stumbling.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Payson said. The song changed, becoming more upbeat and Austin guided her into a dance she didn't know the name of, but was certainly showy enough to make everyone forget about her and Sasha.

"Pay…"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Austin," Payson growled. He gave her an exasperated look, but dropped the subject. He twirled her out and then back in, dipping her low to the ground. Payson laughed, holding tightly to him so she didn't hit the floor.

"Where did you learn how to dance?" Payson asked, delighted. Austin winked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

#

Payson was lounging on her bed in the hotel room, flipping through a book her mom had recommended to her. She couldn't concentrate though; her mind kept wandering. Mostly it went to Sasha, dancing with him, falling into his arms, the night before on his bed…she blushed. They hadn't pushed many boundaries, but Payson had wanted him so badly she scared herself.

Kelly was in the shower when there was a knock on the door. Payson got up to answer it, figure it was either Kaylie or Austin, or both.

It was Sasha. Payson felt her eyes bug out and Sasha chuckled, looking down at the floor.

"Bed check," he said, by way of explanation.

"Oh, right. Kelly's in the shower."

They went quiet. Sasha took half a step inside the room and started to reach out for her hand, but dropped his arm again.

"I'm sorry about the reception. I shouldn't have gotten lost in the moment like that," Sasha said. Payson shook her head.

"We both did. It's fine. But we really need to be more careful."

"We do. Payson, I…goodnight. Sleep well." Payson frowned, wondering what he wanted to say. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, quick as lightening, and then he was gone. She stared down the hallway after him.

"I love you too, Sasha," she whispered.

**A/N: Thanks as always to all you wonderful reviewers! LauraW89, Cynthia, Katherine temperance, Ida-cullen, and lilli. You guys are awesome! **

**Cynthia suggested some Austin and Kaylie drama…well trust me, it's coming. Just not yet. There's a lot of drama for everyone coming up so be prepared. I mean, you did know it couldn't be this easy, right? ;) **

**Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Payson woke up Monday morning, eager to get back to training. The exhibition had shown her that even though she and Kelly were the best gymnasts the US had, the others weren't far behind and she couldn't afford to rest on her laurels.

"Morning," Payson said as she shuffled into the kitchen and went for the fridge.

"Payson…"

Payson's stomach dropped at the tone in her mother's voice. She turned around and saw both her parents sitting in the living room, staring at the television. It was muted, but the story was clear: ESPN was reporting a scandal between her and Sasha. A short video of them dancing at the reception played over the screen.

"Oh my God," Payson muttered, unable to tear her eyes away. The screen switched to show Erin Andrews at the news desk. The bottom of the screen read: ROCK SCANDAL REDUX.

"Payson, is there something you need to tell us?" Mark asked. Payson heard the quiver in his voice. He was pissed. Not just pissed, but furious.

"No!" Payson nearly shouted. "There were a bunch of coaches dancing with their athletes and Sasha and I were the only Rock people who weren't dancing. It was totally innocent."

"Honey, that doesn't look like a coach dancing with his athlete; that looks like a man dancing with a woman," Kim said softly, her hand resting on Mark's arm, restraining him. "Can you understand why it concerns us?"

"I can Mom, I totally can, but I promise you there's nothing to worry about. The video only shows part of it, I mean Sasha danced with Kelly too, why didn't they show that? And I danced with Austin, why isn't the story that he's cheating on Kaylie with me? The only reason anyone is making a big deal about it is because of that stupid video Lauren leaked," Payson growled.

"Pay, you know that we love Sasha but…"

"Sasha did nothing wrong! Mom, Dad, seriously, there's nothing going on. Please believe me," Payson begged. Her heart was thudding hard against her ribcage and she felt her lungs shrinking, making it harder and harder to breathe. She waited, watching as her mom and dad traded a look, communicating silently the way she and Sasha did all the time.

"Okay, sweetie, we trust you," Kim relented, even though she didn't look convinced. Payson breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Now I have to get to the Rock. See you at dinner," Payson said. She grabbed a protein shake and her bag, and moved towards the front door.

"Hold on, Pay, I'll drive you." Kim gave Mark a quick kiss and then grabbed her purse and her keys. Payson knew that even though her mom had relented, the conversation wasn't over.

As soon as they opened the front door, Payson was blinded by camera flashes. Reporters shouted questions at her and pressed forward, crowding around her and Kim as they tried to get to the car.

"Payson! Are you and Sasha having an affair?" One shouted. Payson felt her mom's hand on her back, pushing her forward. If she hadn't been, Payson wasn't sure she would be able to move. Her entire body was frozen in shock.

"Just keep your head down, honey," Kim demanded. She ushered Payson into the car, shutting the door, before turning to the reporters.

"Get off my lawn, or my husband will be out with his gun," Kim growled. They didn't need to know Mark didn't actually have a gun.

Payson was silent on the ride to the Rock. She couldn't believe that in one day things had spun so drastically out of control. MJ was going to have a fit. Sasha could lose his job. She could lose her spot on the National Team.

"Pay?" Kim asked, halfway to the gym.

"Yeah?"

"Now that your dad isn't around…what's really going on between you and Sasha? I trust that Sasha didn't do anything wrong but sweetie, do you still have feelings for him? The way you were looking at him, I just can't help but wonder."

Payson sighed. She might as well tell her mom at least part of the truth.

"Yes, I still have feelings for Sasha. He's just been so good to me, I can't help it." Kim reached over for her hand, squeezing her fingers.

"Sasha's a very likeable guy, honey, but you need to put some distance between the two of you. At least in public, okay?" Payson nodded, feeling a hard knot twist in her stomach. She didn't want to put space between them.

There was a sea of reporters outside the Rock as well, and it was a mad dash to get Payson inside without being accosted by one of them. Spots swam in front of her eyes from the camera flashes.

"Payson! Kim, are the two of you okay?" Sasha asked, hurrying down the steps from the office. His forehead was knit in a frown and Payson wanted nothing more than to kiss the worry lines away.

"We're fine, Sasha. Are you?" Kim asked in full on mother mode. She reached out for Sasha's arm, giving it a squeeze.

"I'm fine, nothing I haven't dealt with before. Kim, do you mind if I speak with Payson privately for a moment?" Sasha asked. Kim hesitated for an instant before nodding and stepping out of the way.

"Of course, Sasha."

Sasha gestured for Payson to go first and then followed her up the stairs and back into the office, shutting the door behind them.

"I'm so sorry," Payson blurted. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Shh, Payson, iubito, it's okay. You have nothing to apologize for. If anything this is my fault, you tried to tell me it wasn't a good idea," Sasha reminded her. He reached for her hand, holding it loosely.

"Still, if I hadn't kissed you before, if the video hadn't gotten out, then no one would have been paying any attention to us," Payson groused.

"Never apologize for that Payson," Sasha insisted. His eyes were intense, burning into hers. She sighed.

"Sasha, what are we going to do?"

#

Training that day was an absolute circus, and it was wearing on Sasha's nerves. The gymnasts were in a frenzy, distracted every time the doors opened and an explosion of sound forced its way in. The reporters were camped out in the parking lot, barraging anyone who came near the doors with question after question about his relationship with Payson.

He knew this day would come. The first time he kissed her, the day she found out about Lauren, he knew that it could only lead to this exact situation. And it was his fault. He should have been stronger.

"I'm heading home, Sasha," Payson said, sticking her head into the office. There were still some gymnasts hanging around, Payson probably wouldn't be staying late for a while, but for some reason he was worried about her going outside and facing all those reporters. She shouldn't have to deal with any of it.

"Your mom already went home," Sasha said. Payson smiled.

"I know, Kelly's giving me a ride," Payson said. He nodded at her, hating that he was just going to let her walk out into the lion's den. There was really no choice though; if he took her home the reporters would just spin that to their own gain.

"Goodnight, then. See you tomorrow."

He wanted so badly to kiss her goodbye. She was never more beautiful to him than when she'd spent the entire day training; there was a flush to her cheeks, a shine in her eyes. She was gorgeous. But he couldn't do that. From now on, he had to be very careful around her.

"See you tomorrow," she said, and he thought he heard a bit of disappointment in her voice.

The night dragged on after Payson left. Sasha stayed in the office, trying to avoid the mass of reporters for as long as possible with menial paperwork that he usually avoided like the plague. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore, he needed to go home and have a large glass of Scotch. He needed to stop thinking about Payson.

Grabbing his keys, Sasha turned off all the lights, locked the doors, and slipped out the back door. Apparently the reporters were too stupid to have figured out that he parked behind the building, because the lot was deserted.

Sighing in relief, he climbed into the cab of his truck and headed for home. He shuddered, thinking about it as home. The last time Sasha felt at home somewhere, his mother was alive and it was her tiny little cottage that had been his sanctuary. The apartment he lived in now was just a place. He supposed that really, if he was thinking about home, it was the Rock. It was where he spent most of his time, where he felt comfortable and safe, and where he fell in love with Payson. The gym was his home, not the little apartment where he slept.

Lost in thought, Sasha found himself taking the long way back to the apartment, which conveniently took him the same route Payson liked to run in the evenings. Part of him felt a little like a stalker, driving the same roads he knew she ran at the time she usually ran them, but he was compelled to do it by something he couldn't name.

The streetlights were just starting to come on when he noticed flashing lights up the block. They weren't the red and blue lights of emergency vehicles, they were bright white. And they were coming from a mob of people.

Something deep inside Sasha twisted and he felt his heart jump into his throat as he pressed harder on the gas pedal.

Sure enough, Payson was in the middle of a sea of paparazzi. He could see, even as he threw the truck into park and jumped out, the look of mounting panic on her face. She had stopped running and was looking for a way out, but the paparazzi wouldn't let her pass.

"Hey!" Sasha called out. Some of the photographers scattered, but still others looked like they just won the lottery. The man nearest him lifted the camera to take a picture, but Sasha ripped it away.

"Sasha!" Payson cried.

"Get in the truck Payson," Sasha growled, staring down the paparazzi. Payson hesitated and then ran to the truck.

Sasha waited until she was safely inside and then threw the expensive camera to the ground and stomped down as hard as he could. He heard the lens shatter.

"Stay away from Payson Keeler."

#

Things were getting out of control. After Sasha saved Payson from the paparazzi, he drove her home. Then they both sat through an hour long lecture from Kim and Mark. Now, Payson was walking into the Rock with the hood of her sweatshirt pulled low over her face and her parents flanking her on either side. Flashbulbs exploded in her face. Interest had to die down eventually, didn't it?

"Why are they still hounding us?" Payson asked when the door had closed behind them and nothing she said could be used as a sound bite.

"Because no one's made a statement yet," said the clipped British accent that could only belong to her agent.

"MJ, when did you get here?" Payson asked. MJ did not look happy; her arms were crossed over her chest, her foot tapping impatiently against the carpet, her eyes narrowed. Sasha stood behind her, looking more than a little apprehensive.

"This morning. I took a red eye, and I'm very tired and very irritable, so you and Sasha are going to talk with me in the office and then we're going to issue a statement and pray to God the media will drop this issue before the American Cup in two months," MJ said through her teeth. Payson heart jumped. Two months? She was hoping they would drop the issue in two months? Payson's heart sank. She and Sasha had really screwed things up.

"Come on," Sasha said quietly, gesturing up towards the office. Payson followed him and MJ like she was marching off to her death.

As soon as the door closed, MJ exploded.

"What the bloody hell were you thinking, Belov?" she shouted. Payson saw Sasha's shoulders stiffen and wondered if she was about to see one of the fights he and MJ had been so famous for once upon a time.

"What do you mean?" Sasha asked, his jaw clenched but his voice light. MJ glared.

"I mean, falling in love with your gymnast and then showing it to the whole world! It was bad enough before but now…"

"What do you mean, falling in love with my gymnast?" Sasha snapped.

"Sasha," Payson muttered. Somehow, MJ knew. Payson didn't know how, but it didn't matter. She knew.

"Please, Belov. I've seen the way you look at someone when you're in love with them, and the way you were looking at Payson was ten times more intense than the way you ever looked at me or any of the other women. You two are together, aren't you?" MJ demanded. Payson's heart hammered in her chest. She knew that Sasha loved her, but he'd never said it, and she wasn't sure she wanted the first time he admitted it to be in front of MJ.

"No," Sasha said quickly. Payson breathed a sigh of relief and shrugged.

"Not really. Not officially anyway," Payson explained. MJ snorted.

"You're together enough. Listen, I'm going to give a statement to the press and do as much damage control as I can, but you two had better be careful. No more dancing at public events, got it?" MJ snapped.

Payson looked at Sasha, their eyes locking for the briefest moment. Together they nodded.

"Got it," Payson muttered.

"Thank you MJ," Sasha said, standing up and moving for the door.

#

Payson sat in the middle of her bed, chewing her nails. MJ's statement worked wonders with the press, even though all she said was that the relationship between coach and athlete was hard to understand but that there was nothing inappropriate going on, and they ate it up. They disappeared from Payson's front lawn and from outside the Rock, she hadn't laid eyes on a single paparazzi all day.

Life was back to normal. Except it wasn't. Sasha came so close to losing his job, and they shouldn't have to rely on MJ to save the day every time one of them stepped out of bounds. They weren't even really together, they shouldn't be stepping out of bounds at all.

"Honey," Kim said, knocking lightly on the door and pushing it open. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Mom. I'm just thinking about going for a run," Payson said.

"Pay, it's nine o'clock. Do you really need to go for a run?"

"I've just got a lot of energy and I can't sit around here," Payson said. She stood, shoving her feet into sneakers and tying the laces.

"Just, take your cell phone okay? And be careful," Kim said, sighing. Payson smiled tightly at her mom and grabbed her keys and cell phone.

"Got it, Mom."

Payson ran all the way to Sasha's front door. He answered before she could knock twice.

"Payson," he said. He actually sounded a little surprised.

"Hey. Can I come in?" Payson asked. Sasha stepped aside to let her in and then closed the door behind her.

"Are you okay?" Sasha asked. He came up behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders and pulling her back against his chest. She sighed and relaxed into him.

Tears welled in her eyes and she turned, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. She buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of him; the perfect mix of man and chalk. He sifted a hand through her hair while the other flexed against her back.

"Payson," he whispered against her ear. She shivered.

"We can't do this anymore," Payson said, her voice thick with tears. She didn't want to say the words, didn't want to mean them, and she definitely didn't want them to be true. What she wanted was to spend all night in Sasha's arms and forget the outside world.

"I know. It's too dangerous," Sasha said, his face buried in her neck. He brushed his lips back and forth against her skin, and it made her stomach flutter.

"Way too dangerous. You almost lost your job," Payson said. She pressed a kiss to the only patch of skin she could reach, a spot just beneath his jaw. She felt his muscles clench beneath her fingers.

"You almost lost your career," he whispered.

"Sasha…" those three little words she wanted to say so badly got stuck in her throat. She couldn't say them knowing that they were over. They hadn't even really begun.

"I know, Payson. I know."

"How are we going to stay away from each other?" She asked. She felt a hot tear streaking down her cheek. Sasha pulled back enough so that he could look her in the eye. His hands came up to cup her face, the pads of his thumbs stroking back and forth across her cheeks.

"We're strong, iubito, we can do it." He kissed her then, soft and hesitant for the briefest moment before it seemed like he couldn't hold back any longer. His tongue traced the seam of her lips, sweeping inside as soon as she granted him entrance. She gasped around his lips, holding tightly to his shoulders as she swayed backwards, lightheaded.

Sasha's hands were everywhere; in her hair, at her back, hitching her thigh around his waist. Payson couldn't keep up, her brain was so confused. She felt him everywhere, couldn't isolate his touch for even one second.

"Sasha," she breathed, her entire body shuddering as Sasha's hands slipped up beneath her shirt, tracing the skin of her hips, following the gentle swell of them.

And then her shirt was gone, and so was his.

"What…what are we doing?" Payson stammered. Sasha's hands stilled, splayed across her stomach.

"Saying goodbye," Sasha whispered.

He was still, so still Payson thought for a moment time had stopped. She traced his face, his cheekbones and his jaw, across his collarbone to the little hollow at the base of his throat. She had no idea what he meant by saying goodbye, no idea how far she would let the night take them, but she knew she needed him. Needed to feel him close to her.

She reached up on her toes and pressed her lips to his.

#

Sasha watched Payson working on the floor, running through her tumbling passes time and time again. He could see how frustrated she was; it was in the set of her shoulders, in the way she stomped around and planted her hands and feet a little harder than necessary on her passes. She was sad too.

So was he.

"Morning Sasha," Kim said cheerily as she came into the office. Sasha nodded, but said nothing. He saw Kim frown. "I know I asked you this before and you said no, but…Sasha can I please set you up with someone? Payson's old babysitter Kristen just moved back home to take care of her mom, she could really use a distraction."

Sasha sighed. He didn't want to date anyone, he wanted to be with Payson, but he couldn't very well say that to Kim. And he knew that keeping his distance would be a lot easier if he and Payson were seeing other people.

Payson's gaze locked with his for an instant before she threw herself into another tumbling pass.

"Sure, Kim. You can set us up."

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews poppetrussell, mariskamagdolinah, Katherine temperance, Kiwiflea, JTellersOldLady, JacenLukeSolo, LauraW89, flowerchild3286, DarkMoon2222, Kayla, and Kissin Concern. You guys rock. **

**Now, a note of clarification because I know I left it open ended, but Payson and Sasha did NOT sleep together. I promise when they do, you'll know it. **

**I also know that you all probably hate me for what I did in this chapter, and the next few chapters will not be easy, but hang in there. It will be worth it. **

**Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Sasha straightened his tie in the visor mirror, making sure the knot sat at the center of his throat. He was parked outside Kristen's house with a good view of the Keeler's and what he was pretty sure was Payson's bedroom window, ready to pick up Kristen for their first date. There was a fluttering in his stomach, and not the good kind; not the kind he got when he kissed Payson, or watched her perform her floor routine. It was the kind of fluttering he got when he drank too much, or when he had the flu. He felt like he was going to be sick.

He thought he saw the drapes over Kristen's window flutter and groaned. He'd been sitting in his truck for ten minutes like a stalker, and even though he didn't want to go on the date, he also didn't want Kristen to think he was a creep. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he got out of the truck and walked towards the door.

"Hi, Sasha," Kristen said, opening the door almost the instant he knocked. She must have seen him in the truck and been waiting by the door.

Kristen was pretty enough. She was blonde, like Payson, and willow-thin. She was tall too, much taller than most of the women Sasha spent time with. Her eyes were a soft honey color, her lips bright pink. In his youth, Sasha would have found her more than attractive.

"Kristen," he said with a little bow, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss against the back of it. Her skin was soft and smooth, like silk, and she wore light, floral perfume. There was no trace of chalk, no calluses; her hands were nothing like Payson's hands.

"Thanks for humoring Kim," Kristen said as they walked back towards Sasha's truck. "She's been fussing over me ever since Mom got sick, wanting to make sure I get out and still live like I'm twenty-five."

"My pleasure. Kim is a good woman," Sasha said. He opened the passenger side door for her and he thought she might have giggled. He wondered if she could really be twenty-five, she seemed so much younger to him.

"So where are we going?" Kristen asked as Sasha climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck.

"I made reservations at Le Privilege, is that okay?" Sasha asked. Kristen's eyes twinkled.

"Totally! I love that place. My Dad used to take me on my birthday every year," Kristen said. She launched into stories about her parents and Sasha was more than happy to let her talk all the way to the restaurant. He steered the truck towards the ritzier side of town and let his mind wander.

He hadn't seen Payson all day, the gym was closed on Sunday's, and he felt her absence like a hole in his heart.

"Sasha?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked what your parents are like," Kristen said slowly, watching him, blinking her big brown eyes.

Sasha frowned. The only person who knew about his parents was Payson. Sure, the other girls had met his Dad, but they only saw the jovial old man, they never got to see the hard, relentless madman who had coached him in his youth. Only Payson had heard those stories. And only Payson knew that Sasha's heart still broke every time he thought of his mother.

"My, uh, my father lives in Romania and my mother passed away some time ago," Sasha said.

"Romania? But you're British," Kristen said. Sasha sighed. He'd forgotten how much he hated having to explain his British accent to people.

"I was born in Romania and lived there until I was twelve before I went to England to live with my mother and train with a new coach," Sasha said.

"Why go all the way to England for a new coach?" Kristen asked. Sasha felt himself bristle. He hated to talk about his family.

"My former coach was the National and Olympic Team coach for Romania. I couldn't have found another coach in Romania. Tell me more about yourself, where did you go to school?" That seemed to distract Kristen enough and she started babbling about her college years and how they were the best of her life. She talked all the way to the restaurant, and even continued to talk after they sat down.

Sasha glowered. Kristen was nice, sweet even, a lot like Summer in that they both had a saccharine smile and good intentions. Kristen didn't seem as hypocritical and judgmental as Summer, but the night was young. But Kristen was also ordinary. She was a normal young woman who'd had a normal life, she didn't have the drive and determination that comes with being an elite athlete. And Sasha admired that in a woman over anything else. He admired that in Payson.

Through the entire evening, Sasha couldn't stop comparing Kristen to Payson and a part of him wondered if he would ever be able to stop measuring women against her. Payson was his ideal. He loved her.

Even thinking the word made Sasha choke on his steak. He coughed and sputtered, taking a drink of the ice water on the table to try to clear his airway. Sasha knew he loved Payson, somewhere deep inside his soul, but it had been a long time since he allowed himself to think or say those words to anyone.

"Sasha, are you okay?" Kristen asked, reaching out to slap him on the back. Sasha shrugged out from beneath her hand.

"I'm fine," he gasped. "Sorry." Kristen watched him for a moment, waiting for him to start choking again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Sasha smiled.

"I'm fine. So tell me, are you an athlete?" Kristen started to chatter again and Sasha was left with his thoughts yet again.

The rest of the night was pleasant enough. Kristen did most of the talking, which Sasha was perfectly okay with, and he enjoyed a decent meal. At the end of the night, Sasha drove her home and walked her to the door.

"I had a lot of fun tonight, Sasha. I'd love to see you again," Kristen said, batting her eyelashes and looking down at her feet. Sasha felt nothing, but he knew that one date wouldn't be enough to protect Payson's career and reputation.

"I'd like that too, Kristen," Sasha said. Kristen finally looked up at him, chewing on her bottom lip, probably trying to get him to kiss her. Sasha took a step closer to her, reaching for her cheek, brushing his thumb across her skin. Then he leaned in to kiss her, focusing on her hair, the same color blonde as Payson's.

Kristen's lips were soft, but not as soft as Payson's, and she was a passive kisser. Payson always gave as good as she got, aggressive as often as she was passive, but Kristen was not like that.

"Wow," Kristen breathed as Sasha pulled back. He'd gotten a little carried away thinking about Payson, and the sound of Kristen's voice brought his fantasies to a crashing halt.

"Goodnight, Kirsten."

#

Kim walked into the office Monday morning with a sly grin on her face. Kristen came over Sunday night, pretty much the instant Sasha drove away, and gushed about how perfect he was, how amazing, and how grateful she was that Kim set them up. Now Kim couldn't wait to hear the same from Sasha.

"Good morning," Kim said. Sasha was sitting at his desk, passing a pen over his knuckles as he stared into space.

"Morning," he mumbled. Kim frowned at him.

"That doesn't sound like a man who had a great first date last night," Kim said, sinking down into her chair.

"Hmm? Oh, no it was wonderful." Kim noted the flatness of his voice; he didn't believe what he was saying.

She frowned. Kim knew that she'd made a mistake encouraging a relationship between Sasha and Summer, but Kristen was nothing like her former co-manager. She was bright and fun and not at all judgmental, and Kim was sure that they would have hit it off. She thought they would be great together. And of course her interest in how their date went had nothing to do with her suspicion that Sasha was in love with her daughter. Nothing at all.

"Sasha, are you okay?" Kim asked. There was something haunted behind his eyes that hadn't been there a few days ago, before the video of him and Payson at the exhibition leaked.

"I'm fine Kim. Thank you for setting me up with Kristen, I had a good time," Sasha said. He was a little more convincing that time, but Kim still didn't quite believe him.

"Why don't you two come to dinner tomorrow night?" Kim asked. She saw Sasha's shoulders tense.

"I'd have to ask Kristen," he mumbled. Kim whipped out her cell phone and quickly dialed Kristen's number.

"I'll ask her!" The phone rang a few times before Kristen picked up. "Kristen, how would you feel about bringing Sasha to dinner at our house tomorrow night? Great! We'll see the two of you at six sharp."

"I take it she's free," Sasha said. He didn't sound at all enthused.

"She is. Six, tomorrow night."

Kim watched Sasha leave the office, walking stiffly with his shoulders tense. He crossed to the uneven bars where Payson and Kelly were working. Payson was swinging through the air and Kim couldn't miss the way Sasha balanced on the balls of his feet, ready to catch her if she fell. He always seemed to be waiting for her to fall again.

Kim was too, but the fall she worried about wasn't from the bars.

#

Payson did her best to prepare herself for dinner Tuesday night, knowing that Sasha would be showing up with her old babysitter, on a date. Part of her hated her mother for suggesting it, for pushing him into the arms of another woman, but another part of her knew that her mom only wanted what was best for Sasha. She wanted that too. The only difference was that Payson knew she was best for Sasha, not Kristen.

"Pay, sweetie, would you get that?" Kim asked, elbow deep in dinner prep, when someone knocked on the door a few minutes before six. Payson ground her teeth together, but went to the front of the house.

She reached for the door handle, taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly through her nose, like she was getting ready to face down Genghi Cho. At this point, her old babysitter was a hell of a lot more of a threat to her than that little Chinese brat.

"Hey," Payson said, knowing she sounded sullen, as she opened the door. Kristen stood right in front of her, a blinding smile on her face. Sasha was situated just behind her and slightly off to the side. He met her gaze over Kristen's shoulder and his eyes told her everything she needed to know. He hated this as much as she did, but they were stuck.

"Oh Payson! I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" Kristen said, lunging forward and trapping Payson in a vice-like hug. She squirmed, her eyes still locked with Sasha's. He was fighting a smirk and Payson wanted nothing more than to smack him, but she couldn't reach.

"You haven't. It's been five years, Kristen. Every time you come I'm at the gym or gone to a competition," Payson growled. Kristen finally released her and stepped back, looking her over.

"You grew up so beautifully. You're gorgeous, Payson," Kristen said, smoothing her hand over Payson's hair. Behind her, Sasha gave a small nod of agreement.

"My mom's in the kitchen," Payson muttered, uncomfortable with the praise. Kristen smiled and bounced past her, but Sasha lingered.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Payson bit her lip and nodded, wishing she could burrow into his arms and hold on to him forever.

"It's okay," she assured him. "We knew this would happen eventually, I just never guessed it would be this soon." His grip on her shoulder tightened for an instant so small, she wondered if she imagined it. A lump settled in her throat as tears burned at her eyes; she understood the situation, but she didn't like it.

"Hey you two," Mark said, appearing at the end of the hallway. Sasha dropped his hand as Payson turned to look at her Dad. "Mom says no shop talk. Come on."

Payson glowered all through dinner. Kristen kept touching Sasha, reaching for his hand, squeezing his shoulder, kissing his cheek as she got up to refill drinks or use the restroom. It made Payson want to throw up. She could take notes from Sasha; she knew that he was uncomfortable but only because she knew him so well, no one else would notice. He put on a good show.

"Kim, I can't thank you enough for introducing us," Kristen said, her fingers sifting through the hair at the nape of Sasha's neck. Payson felt her stomach revolt.

"Oh it was my pleasure. You two make a striking pair," Kim said, smiling and looking very satisfied with herself. Kristen pressed herself to Sasha's side and kissed him, even though he tried to dodge it.

"Excuse me," Payson muttered, shoving her chair back and running from the room. She couldn't sit there and watch Kristen hanging all over Sasha. She was going to throw up.

Payson locked herself in her bedroom, biting back tears. They choked her, burning her throat and eyes and making it hard for her to breathe. She hated herself for crying, hated that she was so wrapped up in a guy. The old Payson would never have found herself in this situation.

Someone knocked softly on her door and she groaned.

"What?" she asked. The door creaked open and her Dad poked his head inside.

"You okay kiddo?" He asked. Payson waved him in and he shut the door behind him before sitting next to her on the floor, their backs resting against her bed. He reached over and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm fine," she muttered, breathing in the scent that was uniquely her Dad. It made her think back to the days when she was small, when her dad was her hero, the man that could fix anything. She wanted him to fix her heart, but wasn't sure he could.

"You've been upset all through dinner, Pay, what's going on?" Mark asked. Payson shook her head. She couldn't tell her Dad about everything that happened between her and Sasha.

"Nothing, Dad. I'm not feeling well." He laughed, a humorless sound.

"You're a terrible liar Payson," he chided. Payson sighed, thinking about how to truthfully explain her feelings without actually being truthful. "Honey, do you still have feelings for Sasha?"

Well, that answered her dilemma. Reluctantly, she nodded.

"I try not to," she whispered, which was the truth. She tried, and tried, and tried not to love Sasha, not to want him, but it was a futile effort.

"Honey, it's okay," Mark said, kissing the top of her head and rubbing his hand in soothing circles over her back. "You and Sasha have been through a lot together, I think it's normal for you to like him. Not to mention, your mother says he's a good looking man."

That made Payson laugh, and she was glad for it.

"I know he's so much older than me and he's just my coach, but seeing him with Kristen…I don't like it."

"I don't think your mom considered that when she invited them to dinner," Mark said. Payson snorted in agreement.

They sat in silence for a while, Payson just drawing comfort from her Dad, before he got to his feet and went for the door.

"Want me to tell them you're not feeling well?" He asked. Payson nodded. She just wasn't ready to see Sasha in a relationship with someone else. "Okay then. I love you, kiddo."

"Love you too, Daddy."

#

It was a small miracle that Sasha managed to stay in his seat when Payson bolted from the room. The urge to follow her, to comfort and reassure her, was overwhelming, almost commanding his body to move before he could stop it. But he did. He sat glued to his seat, feigning nothing more than a coach's concern, while Payson sought refuge in her room and again when Mark went to check on her.

"Payson isn't feeling well, she's sorry for running out like that," Mark said when he reappeared. Sasha knew that was just an excuse so that she didn't have to come back.

"Oh no!" Kristen cooed. Her voice was starting o great on Sasha's nerves and he knew the farce of a relationship wouldn't last long.

Kristen helped Kim clear the dishes and they all enjoyed coffee and pie before Sasha made excuses and walked Kristen back to her house. He planned on just a small kiss goodnight and then doubling back to check on Payson, but when he went in to kiss her cheek Kristen surprised him by catching his lips in hers.

Her hands fisted in his jacket, pulling him flush against her and delving deeper into the kiss. Sasha grunted in surprise and she wasted no time taking advantage of it, sweeping her tongue into his mouth. She spun them so that Sasha tripped over his feet and they fell against the front door, grabbing Sasha by the belt and pulling his hips to hers. Sasha's hands shot out to keep from crushing her, and in the time it took him to steady himself, her hands were wandering beneath his shirt.

"Kristen," he mumbled against her lips, trying to pull away. She wasn't making it easy. "Kristen, stop."

Finally she stopped kissing him and let go, allowing him to take a step back. Sasha raked a hand through his hair.

"Kristen, I…want to take things slowly. I just ended a relationship and I need some time," Sasha explained, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions. A blush flared over her cheeks and she nodded.

"Kim told me about Summer. I'm sorry, I should have thought…" she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Don't worry about it," Sasha whispered. "I'll call you."

He waited until she disappeared inside and then looped back around to the Keeler house. He slipped across the lawn to the side of the house, trying to keep away from the windows. He felt dirty, like a Peeping Tom, but he needed to know that Payson was okay.

The first place Sasha looked was her bedroom. Peeking in through the window, he found no sign of her. He groaned. If she wasn't in her room, chances of her being with her parents were high.

A noise from the backyard drew his attention. As quietly as he could, Sasha crept around the back of the house and slipped through the gate in the fence. Payson was lying in the corner of the yard, nestled in the grass. That particular spot was far enough away from the back porch, and hidden in shadow, that Sasha was no longer worried about her parents.

He straightened, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked towards her.

"Hey," he said quietly. She propped herself up on her elbows, looking a little surprised and a little wary.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Can I sit?" Sasha asked, avoiding her question. She shrugged, lying back down. He sat next to her and then lay down next to her. Their fingers were close enough to brush against each other, but he didn't take her hand.

"Why are you here, Sasha?" Payson asked again. He thought he heard her voice break.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right. I'm sorry about the way Kristen acted, and I'm sorry your mom invited us for dinner, and I'm sorry that we can't just be together," he said, words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them.

Payson was quiet for a long time and Sasha worried that their relationship was damaged beyond repair. How could he ever repair it? How could he make sure Payson got to the Olympics despite him?

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she whispered finally, so softly he was sure he misheard her.

"I still wish it were easier," he replied. Her hand settled over his and she squeezed his fingers tightly.

For a long time they just lay together in silence, staring up at the stars. Sasha knew it couldn't last forever, but in that moment he felt peaceful, like they were safe in their own little dream world.

"You should date too," Sasha finally said. He felt Payson stiffen next to him. "I don't want you to be lonely."

"What about the no dating rule?" Payson said. He could hear the sneer in her voice.

"People think that rule still exists?"

"Sasha, I don't want to date anyone else," she said. Sighing, Sasha knew that her mind was made up. He pulled himself to his knees and leaned over her, staring into her eyes before brushing his lips lightly across hers.

"Just, be happy. Please, Payson."

**A/N: THANK YOU to flowerchild3286, elliemarie84, Cassie, DarkMoon2222, LauraW89, and Kissin Concern for your reviews on Chapter 8!**

**Remember last chapter how I said things will get worse before they get better? Yeah, you've got a while to go. I'm sorry, it actually physically hurts me to hurt them, but it needs to be done. **

**If you want to get back to the happy stuff, REVIEW PLEASE! Yes, I'm begging. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"Payson, are you nuts? You're redesigning your entire floor routine," Kelly said. Payson frowned at her friend, not in the mood to hear reason. Sasha had been dating Kristen for weeks, and it was driving her insane. Her bedroom window faced Kristen's house, and every time Sasha picked her up or dropped her off, Payson saw it. She saw the way Kristen was throwing herself at Sasha, practically mauling him on her front porch, and it made her want to throw up. Even worse was that Payson didn't expect Sasha to deny himself for long. He was a grown man after all, and they weren't together so it wasn't like he would be cheating. He was free to do whatever he wanted, and if he needed a little release every now and then, who could blame him? Payson certainly couldn't.

"I am not. The first tumbling pass is the same. And the rest of it will be fine. I still have plenty of time to polish it before the Trials," Payson promised. She positioned herself in the corner of the floor, her heels wedged as far back as she could go without crossing the white line. She took a breath to center herself, feeling her feet sink into the floor, anchoring her. Then she was off.

She took a few running steps and then threw her body into the first tumbling pass; a layout one and a half into a round off, back handspring. She used the momentum from the handspring to launch into a two and a half twisting layout.

The landing stuck. She didn't waste any time moving into her second pass, a whip into a triple twist. She stuck that landing too.

"See?" Payson said, unable to bite back a smile. Kelly looked a little bit shocked.

"You did not just pull that out of your ass. Where did that come from?" Kelly asked. Payson just shrugged. Actually, she'd been working on the new routine for weeks, since the night Sasha and Kristen came for dinner, but only after hours until she was ready to show it off.

"I've been coming in early, staying late, you know."

"You're going to work yourself to death before we even get to London. That was impressive Payson but seriously, a whole new floor routine? You aren't changing any of the others, are you?" Kelly asked. She looked wary; like she was afraid she'd just answered her own question.

"Not in any major ways at least," Payson said. She'd made adjustments to all her routines, but most of them were minor. It was her floor routine that needed the most change after everything that happened between her and Sasha.

The double doors burst open and Kristen sailed inside, a basket swinging from her arm. A picnic. Payson gagged and offered only a grimace when Kristen waved at her. For a moment Kristen disappeared inside the office and then reappeared in front of the window, kissing Sasha like she was trying to swallow him whole.

Payson turned on her heel and readied herself for her third tumbling pass. It was more complicated than the first two; a full twisting layout into a round off back handspring and then into a double front half punch front. Her concentration was off though, and she fell on her ass instead of sticking the landing.

She stood and brushed herself off, going back to the start to do it again. If she kept her back to the office, she could pretend that Sasha was in there alone. That Kristen wasn't sucking his face off.

The second time, she landed on the side of her foot and went down, trying to spare her ankle. Kelly ran to her, crouching down, and turning to call for Sasha.

"I'm fine," Payson hissed, standing up as quickly as she could. She put some weight on her ankle, testing it. No damage.

"Payson…"

"I'm. Fine. Help me land it," Payson growled.

For the rest of the afternoon they worked on her floor routine with only a couple of short breaks for water. Payson was relentless, pushing herself to the brink. Kelly begged her to take a break, to walk away and come back to it the next day, but Payson refused.

"Well, if you keep what we worked on today, you've got a 7.0 DOD," Kelly said, though she didn't sound all that enthused. Payson nodded.

"Yup," Payson said. She still couldn't shake her irritation at Kristen's behavior. Kelly gave her a long look and then glanced up at the office.

"So what happened between you and Sasha? Did you break up?"

Payson's heart dropped into her stomach. Kelly had just hit the nail on the head, and acted like it was common knowledge. They had been so careful, hadn't they? Well, not really, but how did Kelly know?

"What?" Payson stammered. Kelly frowned.

"Oh, I just assumed you guys were together. Were you not?" Kelly asked. Payson thought about denying it, but Kelly knew her; she would see through the bullshit. Besides, Kelly was her best friend, did she really want to hide something like that from her?

Looking around the gym, Payson grabbed Kelly by the elbow and pulled her into the bathroom. Kelly checked each stall and then locked the main door.

"We did have something going on, we don't anymore," Payson admitted. Kelly scowled.

"Does it have anything to do with that blonde cheerleader brat that was in here at lunch?" Kelly asked. Payson could see the gears turning, could see her jumping to conclusions, and quickly shook her head.

"No. He didn't start seeing Kristen until after we ended things," Payson said. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, noting the bags under her eyes. She needed more rest. Kelly came up behind her, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"Just tell me one thing; are you okay?" Kelly asked.

Payson nodded, even though she wasn't okay at all.

#

"Austin!" Kelly called, running after the Men's World Champion as he left the gym for the day. He stopped, his motorcycle helmet halfway to his head, and looked up at her.

"What's up, KP?" Austin asked, frowning. Kelly went to lean against his bike, her shoulder brushing his.

"Have you noticed anything strange about Payson the last few weeks?" Kelly had noticed a difference so stark, she could probably pinpoint the day she and Sasha broke up, but she wasn't sure if anyone else did. Austin's frown deepened.

"Yeah, she's been oddly focused lately. I mean Pay is always focused but this is like old school Payson. Did something happen?" Austin asked. Kelly could read the concern in his eyes.

"Yes," Kelly said.

"What?" Austin asked. Kelly sighed. She couldn't tell him if he didn't already know, and there was no way for her to figure that out without giving it away.

"I can't tell you, but we need to cheer her up. Take her out, get her out of the gym and out of her house," Kelly said. With Sasha dating Payson's next door neighbor, he was haunting her. Payson couldn't turn a corner without running into him and Kelly couldn't even imagine how awful she must feel.

"Great. Friday night let's take her out. My friend Rigo is already in the Springs, we can get him to come out with us," Austin suggested. Kelly faltered. She wanted Payson to be happy, but she wasn't sure that pushing her towards another guy just a couple of weeks after breaking up with Sasha was the right way to do it.

"I don't…" Kelly started. Austin rolled his eyes.

"I'm not saying we push them to hook up, it would just be nice to have another guy around for once. As much as I love having two gorgeous women on my arms when we go out, I need another guy to appreciate it with," Austin teased. Kelly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.

"Okay. Thanks Austin, I think this will be really good for her," Kelly said. Austin reached out and covered her hand with his, squeezing tightly.

"No problem," he said. Their eyes locked and Kelly found that she couldn't quite look away. Austin's eyes were warm and brown, just like her own, and she felt like he understood her, maybe even better than Payson. Like her, Austin had a public persona that was nothing like him. There was something comforting about training with someone who understood that.

"Hey guys." Kelly jumped at the sound of Kaylie's voice, even though she didn't mean to. She and Austin weren't doing anything wrong. They were just talking.

"Hey babe," Austin said, letting go of Kelly's hand and reaching for Kaylie. She went into his arms and kissed him lightly on the lips, eyeing Kelly the whole time.

"What's up?" Kaylie asked. Kelly watched her gaze tick back and forth between the two of them. She shrugged.

"Nothing, just talking." Austin raised an eyebrow at her, but didn't elaborate for Kaylie. Kelly breathed a sigh of relief. She liked Kaylie well enough, but things were still a little awkward between Kaylie and Payson after all that happened with Lauren, and she didn't think Payson really wanted to hang out with her. Austin would understand that. "See you guys tomorrow."

Kelly watched Kaylie climb onto Austin's motorcycle and ride away. Something that felt disturbingly like jealousy zinged through her stomach. She didn't like it at all.

#

Payson looked hot. She knew that she did in Kelly's short, tight black dress, with her hair tumbling around her shoulders, but she didn't feel it. She felt like a giant in the tiny dress.

"Every guy in the club is going to swallow his tongue when you walk in," Kelly said, holding up a pair of silver earrings. Payson rolled her eyes.

"I hate clubs, you know that," Payson grumbled. Kelly checked her shoulder gently.

"You need to get out of your head and stop thinking about Sasha, right? Well what better place to do that than in a club?" Kelly said.

"How about in the gym?" Payson suggested. Kelly huffed.

"The gym is the worst place for you to try to get over Sasha. Now come on; we're going out and you're going to have fun," Kelly demanded. Payson knew that tone, Kelly Parker meant business. Resistance was futile.

"Okay, I'll try to have fun," Payson said. A horn honked outside and Kelly scoffed.

"What, he can't come to the door like a gentleman?" Kelly said. Payson laughed, which was something she badly needed to do.

"He's not taking us on a date, Kelly," Payson said. She grabbed her purse, a tiny black clutch courtesy of Kelly (just like the rest of her outfit), and they went to greet Austin.

Payson froze on the front stoop. In the front seat next to Austin was a guy she didn't know; dark hair that peaked out from a knit cap, dark eyes, and an easy, goofy smile.

"No," Payson said, turning to go back inside. Kelly caught her by the elbow and started towards the car.

"No, what?" Kelly asked, playing dumb.

"No, I am not letting you and Austin set me up," Payson hissed, digging in her heels. Kelly snorted.

"We're not setting you up. Austin was just feeling a little alone, he needs another guy to hang with us," Kelly explained. Payson eyed her warily, not entirely convinced she wasn't being set up.

"Fine," she relented. She followed Kelly the rest of the way to the car, glaring at Austin and smiling tightly at the newcomer.

"Payson, Kelly, this is Rigo. He's a BMX-er at the OTC," Austin said. Rigo turned in his seat and reached out to shake their hands.

"Hey," he said. His eyes lingered on Payson for a moment before he turned back to the front. It made Payson shiver, and she had the strongest urge to call Sasha. Austin eased his car out of the driveway and pointed it towards Denver.

"Where are we going?" Payson asked. Austin looked at Rigo and smiled.

"We're going to Suite Two Hundred." Payson sucked in a breath so fast she almost choked on it. Suite Two Hundred was one of the most exclusive clubs in Denver. Celebrities who came to town almost always showed up to enjoy bottle service and a huge dance floor, and local stars were there almost every night. It was bound to be a media nightmare.

"Guys," Payson groaned. "The media…"

"Might be there, but so what? We're not going out drinking, just dancing," Kelly promised. Austin snorted.

"Well, Rigo and I might drink, but we're both legal," Austin said. Payson rolled her eyes.

"And just what is Kaylie going to think about this?" Payson asked. Austin shrugged.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. Kaylie doesn't keep me on a leash, she trusts me," Austin explained. Payson wasn't so sure about that, but she didn't say anything.

The club was packed when they got there, the music loud and the bass pounding so hard that Payson could feel it in her toes. The line outside was so long it wrapped around the block, but once the bouncer heard Austin's name, he let them in and had them escorted to the VIP room.

Payson enjoyed Rigo. He was funny and not at all afraid to make fun of himself. He made her laugh. She didn't see a future with him, not the way she did with Sasha, and he didn't make her skin sing like Sasha did, but he was fun. It wouldn't be awful to spend time with him.

So when he kissed her in the middle of the dance floor, holding her close, she let him.

#

"So, last night was fun," Austin said as he stood with Payson and Kelly outside the Rock. They'd stayed out late, incredibly late, and they were all dragging because of it, but it was fun. Payson couldn't remember the last time she just let herself relax and enjoy something normal teenagers did. Although she was pretty sure normal teenagers didn't get special entry into exclusive clubs.

"It was great," Kelly agreed. "And Rigo was certainly a cutie." She nudged Payson with her elbow and Payson stifled a smile.

"He's nice. I'm not going to marry him or anything, but he's fun," Payson admitted. Austin laughed and threw his arms around them both, ready to go inside.

The double doors burst open, slamming against the concrete walls, and an enraged Kaylie came flying out. She had a piece of paper crumpled in her hands as she marched towards the trio. When she saw Austin's arms around them, she shrieked.

"Um, gotta go," Kelly said, but Austin tightened his hold on both her and Payson.

"Oh no you don't. She can't kill me with witnesses present," Austin hissed. Payson stifled a laugh.

"Austin Tucker, how dare you!" Kaylie screamed, slamming her hands into his chest. He dropped his arms from around Payson and Kelly to block her attacks, but she just kept coming at him.

"Kaylie, stop!" Payson finally shouted, pulling her tiny friend away. Kaylie thrashed in her grip. "What the hell is going on?"

"You two," Kaylie growled, pointing at Kelly and Austin. "How long have you been hooking up behind my back? Weeks? Months?"

Austin stared at Kaylie, dumbstruck.

"What are you talking about?" he asked after a long moment. Payson worked the paper from Kaylie's hands.

It was a blog posting, with pictures of the four of them from the night before. There was one of her and Rigo dancing, and kissing, and there was another of Austin and Kelly at the bar, their heads close together as they talked. Another picture below showed all four of them leaving the club, Austin and Rigo with their arms around Kelly and Payson, respectively.

"Here," Payson said, handing the paper to Austin. Kaylie was overreacting, but she wasn't about to say that. Not yet, anyway.

"Kaylie, this is crazy! Kelly and I aren't together! The music was loud, I had to lean in to hear her. If they'd chosen a different moment it would have looked like I was making out with Rigo!" Austin shouted. Kaylie shook her head.

"I don't believe you, Austin." She snapped. Kelly stepped forward, ready to defend Austin, but Kaylie reached out and shoved her instead. Payson angled herself between them.

"Whoa! You two are teammates, and Kaylie, I was there all night. They are not hooking up. Nothing happened," Payson promised.

"If nothing happened, why didn't you invite me instead of Kelly?" Kaylie asked.

"The whole thing was Kelly's idea! We couldn't very well leave her behind!" Austin shouted. Payson looked back and forth between them, the whole situation was escalating ridiculously fast and she had no idea how to stop it.

"Then why didn't you invite me and another guy for Kelly?" Kaylie snapped. Payson had to admit, Kaylie had a point there. But she also knew that the three of them had a special bond, and Kaylie wasn't a part of it.

"Because this wasn't about you!" Kelly finally exploded. Kaylie looked at her, dumbstruck. "This was about Payson! Okay, Kaylie? Austin and I were trying cheer her up. Aren't you supposed to be her friend? If you were, you would have noticed how sad she's been lately, how angry! You would have noticed that she needed to get out of the damn gym for five damn minutes! So I'm sorry we didn't think to invite you along, but this was never about you, or me, or Austin! So get over yourself!"

Payson shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable that all the attention was suddenly being focused on her. But in the same instant, Kaylie was lunging at Kelly, her hands curled into claws, scratching and hitting. Austin tried to get between them, to pull Kaylie off, but he couldn't do it on his own.

Sasha would be able to help. Payson turned and dashed for the Rock, barely pausing as she wrenched open the double doors, taking the stairs to the office two at a time. Sasha was standing at the windows, arms crossed over his chest, staring out at the floor.

"Sasha…" Payson gasped. "Kaylie and Kelly…"

"Were you even going to warn me?" Sasha interrupted. Payson sputtered.

"What?" she asked.

"The boy," he spat, like it was a dirty word. "That you were out with last night. Were you going to warn me or did you want me to find out you were seeing someone from the morning gossip circuit?"

"Sasha, I don't know…"

"You were kissing him!"

Payson was at a total loss for words. Outside her friends were fighting to the death and Sasha was standing there condemning her for going out one night, with one boy. As she stood there, staring at Sasha, his blazing eyes, tense shoulders, and jumping jaw muscle, the shock gave way to anger. She could feel it blooming inside her, spreading through her veins like a fiery wave that threatened to pull her under. She was tempted to let it.

"You kiss Kristen all the time!" Payson hissed. The door was still open, she didn't need anyone else to hear their argument.

"At least you had fair warning about it!" Sasha countered. Payson snorted. "At least I didn't take her out to some club and make a fool of myself!"

Payson didn't even realize she'd lifted her hand until she felt her palm stinging. Sasha's cheek flared red and his mouth hung open.

Payson had just slapped her coach.

Before the guilt and embarrassment could set in, Payson moved close so that there would be no mistaking her next words.

"This was your choice, Sasha. This is what you wanted. Don't you dare penalize me for that."

She turned on her heel and walked back outside. She would break up the fight herself.

**A/N: I know you guys are going to hate on me so hard for bringing Rigo into this story, but I kind of love him. Obviously I want Payson to end up with Sasha, but Rigo isn't such a bad placeholder. Right? And I promise you, I SWEAR to you, Payson and Sasha will eventually end up together in this fic. They've still got a bumpy road, but I promise that Rigo will not steal her away for long. And I won't make you wait forever either. **

**As usual, a huge thank you to Elylou, DarkMoon2222, BearyFunny66, Ida-cullen, Kiwiflea, Perko, threewishes6716, Kissin Concern, flowerchild3286, Nathascha, and ncisluver for your reviews!**

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long to post. I've been travelling a lot for school and work and fun, etc, and on Wednesday I get to go HOME and watch one of my dearest friends walk down the aisle! So, it might be another long-ish wait for the next one. But I promise it will be worth it!**

**Review please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sasha stood outside the Rock, dreading having to unlock the doors and start his day. In the two weeks since his fight with Payson, when she slapped him right across the face, and the break up between Kaylie and Austin, things at the Rock were tense to say the least.

Finally, he forced himself to turn the key and walk inside. Payson would be there soon to start working, and he was trying to avoid confrontation with her if at all possible. He turned on the lights, scanning the gym quickly to make sure that everything was in order, and then ducked into the office.

Payson appeared not even ten minutes later. Instead of coming up to the office to say good morning, like she would have before their fight, she went straight to the corner, shucked off her sweats, and started to warm up.

When she was on the floor and Sasha could safely assume she wouldn't notice him watching her, he went to stand by the window. She was throwing herself through her new routine with reckless abandon. She fell as often as she stuck a landing, and there was no grace, no artistry in her movements. He wondered if all they'd achieved had been undone in just a few short days.

"Payson," he said, coming out of the office. He didn't descend the stairs, didn't go to her like he wanted to, but simply stood at the railing and looked down at her. She arched an eyebrow and cocked her hip, clearly not open to his criticism.

"What?" she snapped. He recoiled, feeling her harsh tone like a physical blow.

"Relax. Focus. You're all over the place," he said, keeping his voice soft and even so he didn't agitate her any further. She snorted and turned away from him, muttering, and then threw herself into a tumbling pass.

Sasha sighed and went back into the office. Sitting down heavily in his chair, he massaged his temples. He was not happy with himself, or with the situation he and Payson found themselves in. There had to be a way for them to work around their circumstances.

Payson cursed, loudly, from the floor and Sasha ran to the railing to see what happened. She sat on the ground, cradling her ankle, and Sasha felt his heart drop into his stomach. He leapt down the stairs and ran across the gym, dropping to his knees beside her.

"What happened?" he asked, reaching for her ankle. Payson slapped his hands away.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she snapped. Sasha sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and grimacing.

"Payson, please don't push me away," he said softly.

"I wasn't pushing you away until you made those stupid comments about me and Rigo!" she snapped, getting to her feet and testing her left ankle gingerly. She winced a little, but after a moment she was able to put all her weight on it again.

"I know what I said was stupid, Payson, and you were right to slap me…"

"I can hear the 'but' in your voice. Don't. You weren't just stupid, Sasha, you were way out of line. You made me feel like a horrible person for doing exactly what you're doing. What you told me to do!" Payson shouted. Sasha could see the tears glittering in her eyes and he wanted so badly to reach out and touch her, even though it would probably earn him another smack across the face.

"I'm sorry," he said. She shook her head and looked down at the floor. A single tear slid down her cheek.

"I never thought you would hurt me Sasha. I thought I would always be safe with you, and then you went and said those things. I can't forgive you for that, not yet," Payson said. Sasha thought she sounded more sad than angry, and he hated that he did that to her.

"At least let me wrap that," he said quietly. It was the only thing he could think to say; there was nothing he could do that would make the situation better. Payson needed space, but that was hard to come by when he was her coach and they were only a few months from the Olympics.

Payson frowned at him, but nodded.

"Fine."

#

"I just don't know what to do anymore, Austin," Kelly said, sitting next to him on a bench outside the Rock. They were both avoiding going inside for as long as possible. Kaylie was already there and once they both walked inside, it was going to get really awkward.

"Listen KP, we can't control Kaylie's attitude. I wish she would be rational, but she isn't, so we just have to deal with it," Austin said. Kelly snorted.

"I wasn't talking about her; I can handle Kaylie. I'm talking about Payson and you-know-who," Kelly said. "They can barely be within ten feet of each other without it ending in a screaming match. We're only like five months from the Olympics, Payson needs her coach."

Austin sighed, slumping down and leaning his head back against the bench. Kelly thought he looked exhausted. The last week, between the break-up with Kaylie and everything that was going on with Payson and Sasha, had been rough and Kelly and Austin were caught in the middle of it all.

"Well, we have that pub weekend coming up, maybe it will be good for us to get away," Austin suggested with a sigh.

"I think it will be great for Payson to get out of the gym," Kelly mused. Austin cracked one eye open to look at her.

"It will be good for all of us. I know you're as tired as I am," he said. Kelly slowly blew out a breath and nodded.

"I am."

"Okay, so let's have some fun on our pub weekend. Not talk about Kaylie or you-know-who," Austin suggested. Kelly nodded.

"Sounds like Heaven to me."

#

"Hey, you okay?" Rigo asked, staring at her from across the table. Payson tried to give him her best smile, but it felt forced. Apparently it looked forced too, because Rigo scowled.

"I just had a long day," she said. "And my ankle hurts." Her ankle was still throbbing from when she turned it that morning, but the trainer swore it wasn't sprained.

"Want me to kiss it and make it better?" Rigo asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Payson couldn't help but smile. She liked that about him; his easy going attitude and his playful demeanor. Plus, she didn't have to worry all the time. It was nice to be in an easy relationship, even if he didn't set her skin on fire the way Sasha did.

"Thanks, but I think it will be okay," Payson said, biting her lip against a laugh when he pouted.

"Want to go out to Austin's lake house after dinner? He said we're welcome and I could take you out on the boat," Rigo suggested. Payson snuck a surreptitious look at her watch; it was creeping up on eight o'clock.

"I don't think I can, I need a good night's rest and some ice for my ankle. Maybe this weekend?" Payson suggested. She hated to blow him off for sleep, but it was more important now than ever especially with a publicity weekend coming up.

"Sure, no worries," Rigo said, smiling. It wasn't forced like hers, and that made her feel worse. Why couldn't she just stop thinking and enjoy his company? "You ready?"

Payson nodded and waited while Rigo paid the check. Then he came back to her, offered his hand, and they went out into the night.

The setting sun made the flashbulbs going off in her face seem all the brighter.

"Rigo, kiss her!"

"Payson, do you think Rigo is the one?"

Payson grimaced at all the shouted questions and let Rigo guide her, arm around her shoulders, to his car. It had been that way since the picture of them kissing at Suit Two Hundred. Paparazzi followed them everywhere, hoping to snap more pictures like it. They'd been following Sasha and Kristen too, apparently thrilled to have a new angle on the Payson/Sasha saga. The trashier magazines features pictures of Payson and Sasha and concocted stories painting them both as martyrs, giving up a relationship to avoid the press and any legal troubles so close to the Olympics. Payson had to laugh at the irony; the trashiest magazines were actually the most accurate in this case.

"Have they always hounded you like this?" Rigo asked as they slid into his car. He navigated the SUV as carefully as he could through the throng of reporters.

"Not always, just since that picture of me kissing Sasha came out," Payson admitted. Something dark flashed across Rigo's face. She knew he didn't like Sasha, but she wasn't sure why; he didn't know anything more than anyone else…unless Austin mentioned something to him.

Payson reaches for her phone.

_Did you tell Rigo about me and Sasha?_

She wedged the phone beneath her knee and stared straight ahead. The air in his car turned thick and tense. Her phone buzzed.

_Austin: No, why?_

Payson shook her head. She wasn't quite sure she understood Rigo's problem with Sasha.

"Why do you get like that every time I mention Sasha?" Payson asked. Rigo's eyes ticked over to her.

"Get like what?" he asked.

"Like…angry. You don't like him, do you?" Payson asked. Rigo shrugged.

"I don't know him. I just…I feel like there's more to all of that than you're telling me. But I trust you, and if you say there's nothing to worry about, I'll believe you."

Payson scowled. She and Rigo had been dating two weeks; she didn't owe him an explanation. Before she could call him on it though, he pulled into her driveway. When he didn't immediately get out to open her door, he was very old fashioned in that way, Payson knew he had more to say.

"I know it's only been two weeks, but I really like you Payson." She frowned, and then a thought occurred to her. Rigo knew that Payson and Sasha were close, or had been. Was he jealous? It was possible. She shook her head. Stupid, testosterone fueled men.

"I do like you, Rigo." She leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Goodnight." She got out of the car on her own and walked inside, leaving Rigo sitting in the driveway.

Her mom and dad were sitting on the couch, both with a glass of wine in their hands. Kim looked up and smiled brightly at her.

"Hey honey! How was your date?"

"Fine," Payson said, getting herself a glass of water.

"Just fine?" Kim pressed.

"I'm just tired," Payson said.

"Did you see the news today?" Kim asked, coming to stand next to her. Payson frowned and shook her head.

"No, am I in it?" Payson groaned.

"No, but Sasha is." Payson's heart dropped. Sasha in the news meant Kristen by his side, and there was only so much of that sight Payson could stomach.

Kim passed Payson the magazine, open to the page in question. A picture of Sasha and Kristen stared up at her, and a headline that read _Belov Headed for Wedded Bliss?_ Payson skimmed the beginning that highlighted Sasha's past and explained who Kristen was. Then she got to the part that made her stomach clench.

"Kristen says that she's never met a man as attentive and gentlemanly as Sasha. She believes Sasha is "the one" and it won't be long until you see them walking down the aisle." Payson her stomach churn and bile rise in her throat. Who was Kristen kidding? Unless they'd already talked about it. Maybe Sasha really was moving on. Truly and completely on.

Payson's stomach clenched violently and she knew she was going to throw up.

"Honey, are you okay?" Kim asked.

Payson clapped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom.

#

Sasha's truck screeched to a stop outside Kristen's house. He cast a glance at the Keeler house as he strode to the door, praying that Payson would forgive him for what Kristen said in the article. When he reached Kristen's door, he knocked, hard.

"Hey, you," Kristen said, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise. Sasha held out the magazine.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sasha snapped. His blood was boiling.

"What do you mean?" Kristen asked, her smile slipping.

"I mean, telling the press we're getting married," Sasha said, flicking the magazine. Kristen shook her head.

"I didn't! I said maybe someday I could see it, I never said it was a sure thing!" Sasha groaned, scrubbing a hand through his hair and trying to calm himself. Kristen didn't have as much experience with the press as he and Payson did, she would have no reason to know they take your words and twist them into whatever quote suits their needs.

"Kristen, you can't say stuff like that to the press. Ever."

"Why is this such a big deal, Sasha? So the press twisted my words, so what? It's not actually doing anybody any harm," Kristen snapped. He bit his lip against telling her that it was probably hurting Payson.

"You know that I'm a very private person, Kristen. It's none of the tabloids' business and you should respect me enough not to say anything."

"So what, I'm supposed to just stand behind you in the background while you get all the attention?"

Sasha stared at her, dumbfounded. Somewhere along the way, Kristen had turned into an attention seeker. She wanted to talk to the press; she loved seeing pictures of her and Sasha splashed all over the magazines and gossip sites. He dropped the magazine at her feet.

"We're done." Sasha didn't wait for a response. Instead, he jogged to the Keeler's front door.

It was late, but the lights were still on so Sasha took a chance and knocked. If Kim or Mark or even Becca answered the door he would have no good reason for stopping by, but he needed to see Payson. He needed to tell her that what Kristen said wasn't true, not even a little bit.

He let out the breath he'd been holding when Payson answered the door.

"Pay…"

She slammed it in his face.

#

Payson spent an entire week avoiding Sasha except in the gym, where there was no risk of personal discussion. She didn't want to hear about how he and Kristen were meant to be, or how what he had with Payson was simply child's play. She wanted to live in her own fantasy world for a little while longer.

Now, she was safely on a plane to Los Angeles with Kelly, Austin, and MJ. As much as she hated taking the long weekends to fulfill the publicity portions of her contract, she was glad for the time away from the Rock, from Sasha, and from Rigo.

"You'll be doing a shoot together for GQ tomorrow," MJ said, running down their weekend itinerary as she always did on the plane ride out.

"Awesome," Austin said, nodding his head.

"I have to warn you, they want to take the shoot in a more…mature direction," MJ said carefully. Payson's head snapped up. She learned long ago to decipher the tone of MJ's voice, and her tone just told her that Payson was not going to be happy.

"Mature?" Payson pressed.

"Do you remember the shoot they did for Glee about a year ago?" MJ asked. Images sprang to Payson's mind; the male lead of that show and the two female leads in various school settings, the girls in various states of undress. She felt herself flush.

"That's what they want to do?" Payson asked, swallowing thickly.

"Yes," MJ said.

"Holy shit," Kelly muttered. "Isn't the NGO going to be pissed?"

"It's possible," MJ said with a shrug. "But I'm an expert in my field and the NGO trusts me with your careers. GQ will keep the photos tasteful, but they want to show you as women, not girls. Are you two okay with this?"

Payson and Kelly shared a look. If anyone was going to object, it would be Payson, she knew. Kelly didn't have a problem using sex to sell her image. She wasn't the All-American sweetheart, Payson was. She squirmed in her seat. Using the Glee shoot as a frame of reference, Payson knew she would be in some stage of undress for the entire shoot and she would probably be asked to ooze sex. She wasn't even sure she could do that.

But she wanted to. Sasha thought she was a little girl, her parents thought she was a little girl, everyone saw her as some innocent little girl. She was angry, and she wanted to teach them all a lesson.

"I'm game is KP is," Payson said. Kelly and Austin both looked at her in surprise.

"I'm game too. Let's do it."

#

Payson could feel Kelly's eyes on her as they waited in the dressing room for the wardrobe person. She sighed.

"What?" Payson snapped.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Kelly asked. Payson rolled her eyes at her friend.

"It's not like we're filming a porno or something," Payson said, waving her hand dismissively. Kelly frowned at her.

"No, but you've never been all that comfortable with your…woman-ness. I mean, Austin couldn't even get you to crawl around like a cat," Kelly reminded her. Payson snorted at the memory and found herself fighting a smile.

"That was stupid. And I managed to pull of the sexy parts of that routine because I was acting, just like I do every time we're part of a photo shoot. This will be no different," Payson insisted. Kelly came over to stand next to her, meeting her eyes in the mirror.

"Pay, are you just doing this because of…you-know-who?" Kelly asked. Payson shook her head firmly. Pissing Sasha off was going to be an added bonus, but since her split-second decision to do the shoot, she found herself getting more and more excited about it. She was a young woman with a body she worked for years to turn into a finely tuned machine, why shouldn't she show it off?

"I promise, KP, he is not the reason I'm doing this."

The wardrobe assistant came to get them, showing them each a rack of lingerie and other clothing items with their name on it. Austin's rack had suits and ties, shirts and jeans, but theirs had mostly bras and panties, a few corsets, a few skirts that were barely more than scraps, and a couple of shirts.

"First up," the assistant said, handing a couple of hangers to Kelly and Payson.

Payson looked at her outfit: a bra and boy shorts in red, white, and blue, speckled with little white stars. Kelly had a similar design, but hers was a tiny camisole and bikini underwear.

They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"My parents are going to kill me," Payson said, ducking behind a free-standing screen to change.

"I can't believe we're letting GQ do this," Kelly agreed with a giggle.

Austin was waiting for them on "set", wearing jeans and a crisp white dress shirt. Red, white, and blue confetti littered the ground, and there was a gold medal around his neck. He looked bored.

"Hey," Kelly said as they wandered up to him. He looked up and his eyes widened when he took in what they were wearing.

"Are you guys sure…"

"Austin I swear if you try to play the big brother right now, I will slap you. We are all adults," Payson said firmly. He held her gaze for a moment, making her squirm, and then shrugged and looked away.

"If you guys are cool, I'm cool," he said.

"Ladies, you look lovely," the photographer said as he came over to them. A few set assistant ran over to check their hair and make-up, fussing over them. Payson resisted the urge to shoo them all away. "We've got a couple of gold medals for the two of you as well."

"Actually, I've got one in my bag I'd like to wear," Payson said quickly. She wasn't even sure where the thought came from, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew she wanted to wear Sasha's medal for the shoot.

The photographer looked confused and a little apprehensive, but he nodded. Payson ran back to the dressing room and took the medal from its place, wrapped in a sock, before lopping it over her neck.

"Great, let's get started," the photographer said. He spent an inordinate amount of time positioning them for each pose. Assistants threw more confetti and eventually the photographer just let them play. Kelly and Payson attacked Austin with the small shining strips of plastic, dumping handfuls over his head. He tossed picked Kelly up, twirling her around. Payson and Kelly danced around, kicking up clouds of confetti as they went.

They changed outfits and sets twice. One was a replica of the Rock where they had several shots of them on their best known apparatus; for Kelly it was bars, Austin was on the rings, and Payson was on the floor. Their final set was an Olympic podium in front of an American flag. It hit Payson that so many people were hyping one or all of them to bring home a gold medal that there would be a lot of disappointment if they didn't.

The entire shoot was a blast, and for the first time in weeks Payson wasn't thinking about Rigo, or Sasha, or Kristen. She wasn't thinking about anything other than having fun with her friends.

"Okay ladies," Austin said when they were done for the day. "You ready to go blow off some steam?"

Payson and Kelly traded a look.

"Hell yeah."

#

Kelly and Austin dropped Payson off at her hotel room before heading down the hall for Kelly's. They were exhausted after a night of dancing in L.A.'s hottest clubs, but Kelly wasn't ready for the night to end yet.

"I guess this is where you get off," Austin said quietly, leaning one shoulder against the wall as Kelly fumbled in her clutch for her room key.

"I guess so," Kelly echoed, pushing the door open. For some reason, though, she really didn't want to go through it.

"I had fun tonight," Austin said.

Taking a breath, Kelly decided to take a risk. She stepped closer to Austin, curling her fingers into his shirt, and rose up on her toes to kiss him.

"What are we doing?" Austin asked when she pulled away. Frowning, thinking he was rejection her, Kelly took a step back. Austin stopped her, grabbing her hands in his and then leaning in to kiss her again.

"I thought…" Kelly stammered. Austin steered her into the room.

"I know what you thought," he said. And then he was kissing her and Kelly didn't care.

**A/N: THANK YOU to Isabella, sylia67, rotem, GekkeMeisje, Morelen, phuong1317, Silvercrystal77, Kiwiflea, Ida-cullen, Candace l, JTellersOldLady, Ncisluver, marcoleptic86, Nathascha, LauraW89, I Prey On Blonde Boys, BearyFunny66, Barrel of Monkeys, and DarkMoon2222 for your reviews! **

**I am beyond sorry that this chapter took so long to post! Things have been crazy busy for me lately, and I didn't have this chapter outlined before I started writing it so I had to do that too. But the good news is that the next two chapters are already outlined so hopefully they won't take quite as long to get down. **

**As always, review please!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

At first, Payson wasn't sure what woke her. The clock said it was four in the morning, and her body never woke her before five, especially when she'd been out dancing until two. Frowning, she curled into the covers, making herself a little cocoon, and closed her eyes.

A knock at the door made them snap open again. So that was what woke her.

She slid out of bed, shoved her feet into slippers, and shuffled to the other side of her hotel room. A glance through the peep hole showed no one waiting outside. Payson scowled.

"Pay, are you awake?" The harsh whisper came from the door that adjoined her room to Kelly's. Flicking the lock, Payson opened it.

Kelly stood on the other side, her hair in disarray, with a huge grin on her face.

"I've only been asleep for two hours, this better be good," Payson growled, turning and shuffling back to bed. Kelly came in behind her, flinging herself down next to Payson so hard the bed bounced. Payson groaned and buried her head beneath her pillow.

"Austin and I hooked up," Kelly said. Payson stilled for a moment and then sat up, her brow furrowed.

"Define hooked up," Payson demanded. Kelly grinned.

"We just spent the last two hours doing some hard core making out," Kelly explained. Payson sighed in relief.

"So you didn't sleep with him?" Payson asked. A flush spread over Kelly's neck and cheeks. Payson's jaw dropped; Kelly Parker never, ever blushed.

"No," Kelly admitted. "But we came pretty close."

"Oh Kelly," Payson sighed, reaching for her friend's hand. "Are you sure this is a good idea? He just broke up with Kaylie and he might be ready to move on but what if he isn't? What if…"

"He's not using me, Payson," Kelly snapped. "He wouldn't do that."

"I'm not saying he would intentionally use you, but if he's hurting he might be seeking comfort with you. I just don't want you to get hurt," Payson said.

"He's not going to hurt me. Besides, I initiated it, not him." Payson took a breath. She believed that Austin would never intentionally use Kelly, and he wasn't the type to seek comfort in the arms of another woman, but she still didn't think it was a good idea for Kelly and Austin to be hooking up. There was so much potential for drama they couldn't afford.

"If Kaylie ever finds out…"

"Kaylie thinks we're together anyway. So what if it's true now?" Kelly asked.

"Kaylie is impulsive; she'll realize soon enough that she was wrong. There's time to mend things between the two of you. But if you start seeing Austin, Kaylie will never forgive you," Payson said. She wanted Kelly to be happy, and she had to admit that they made a great couple, but she also wanted a solid team going to London. If Kaylie and Kelly were fighting over Austin, they wouldn't have that.

"I don't care if she never forgives me. Kaylie and I have never really been friends. You're the only friend I care about having, Pay," Kelly admitted, looking down at the comforter. Payson's heart swelled. Kelly never admitted things like that, never left herself open and vulnerable, and to hear those words from her meant more than Payson could express. She reached out and pulled Kelly into a tight hug.

"If you're happy, KP, I'm happy."

"I'm happy PK. Really, really happy."

#

The next time Payson woke up, it was nine o'clock, Kelly was curled around a spare pillow on the other side of the bed and, yet again, someone was knocking at her door. Glancing at Kelly, Payson slipped out of bed and tiptoed across the room. A peek through the peep hole revealed Austin, looking freshly showered and groomed.

"Hey," Payson whispered as she opened the door. Austin frowned at the volume of her voice and then glanced over her shoulder. She could tell the second his eyes landed on Kelly because they softened around the edges. It made Payson's heart ache, in a good way.

"Hey. I thought I'd see if you two are up for breakfast," Austin said softly.

"Sure. Give us fifteen minutes?"

"I'll go down and grab us a table," Austin said. Payson closed the door as he walked away and then ran and jumped on the bed.

Kelly woke up shrieking and flailing. Waking Kelly as abruptly as possible was one of Payson's favorite pastimes. She laughed as Kelly tackled her to the bed.

"I'm going to kill you. Why are you waking me up?" Kelly growled.

"Austin's got a table for us downstairs. Breakfast time," Payson explained. Kelly groaned.

"I'm not hungry," she groused. Payson scowled and scrambled off the bed. She knelt in front of her suitcase, pulling out her outfit for the day.

"Yes you are, you just don't want to get out of bed. Come on."

Kelly groaned and covered her head with the pillow.

"Austin looks really good today," Payson sang, hoping to entice Kelly out of bed. It worked; she popped right up and bounded towards the adjoining room.

"I'll be back in five minutes."

"We've got fifteen," Payson assured her.

They were dressed and ready in record time, and then headed for the restaurant on the main floor of the hotel. Austin was waiting, seated at a table secluded in the back. Kelly led the way, Payson following closely behind. Austin stood as they approach, glancing around for photographers, and then leaned down and brushed his lips against Kelly's.

"Okay you two, cool it," Payson warned. Just because there were no photographers around didn't mean there weren't gossip hungry fans that would snap a picture and send it to TMZ.

"Did you tell her?" Austin whispered. Kelly nodded, blushing again.

"Even if she didn't, you just did," Payson scoffed. Austin rolled his eyes as the three of them sat back down. "Seriously, though, you guys have got to keep this quiet for a while. Kelly I know you don't care about having Kaylie as a friend, but she's going to be your teammate and we need as much trust as possible going into London."

Kelly snorted and opened her mouth to respond, but Austin's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Payson's right. If the two of you are fighting when you get to London, the Games are going to be a disaster. Why don't we just keep it on the DL for now?" Austin suggested. Payson nodded in agreement. Kaylie was going to go ballistic when she found out, and Payson would much rather have that be after London. There was enough drama in her life, she didn't need more. And both Kelly and Kaylie needed to focus on their routines, not hating each other.

"We just got rid of that stupid no dating rule, and now we're imposing one on ourselves?" Kelly groused. Payson laughed.

"We never officially got rid of the no dating rule," Payson reminded her. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"Might as well have. Fine, we'll keep it to ourselves. For now."

#

Kim was exhausted. It had been a long week, and she was looking forward to a weekend at home with her girls and her husband. Family days, plural.

She sank into Mark's favorite recliner, wishing he were there, and closed her eyes. She was just slipping into a peaceful afternoon nap when her cell phone rang. She groaned, all she wanted was a little peace and quiet for an hour.

"Hello?" Kim asked with a sigh. She didn't even bother to look at the caller id.

"Kim? Have you seen the latest issue of GQ?" It was her sister's voice, and she sounded outraged. Her sister was one of the calmest people Kim knew, if something was upsetting her, it was bad. But why would GQ upset her? Why was she even reading it?

"I don't make a habit of reading GQ, Lisa, why?"

"Payson and her friends are on the cover. She's in her underwear, Kim. You need to see it, now," Lisa demanded. Kim felt her heart wedge itself into her throat. Payson said something about being part of a GQ shoot when she returned from her publicity weekend the week before, but nothing about being in her underwear.

"Thanks for the heads up, Lisa." Kim hung up without waiting for her sister's reply and grabbed her purse. She needed to get to the grocery store.

#

Payson walked into her house, happier after a day of training than she had been in a long time. Her new routines were finally coming together and with her higher DODs and more complicated skills, she was going to blow the competition away. At that moment, there wasn't a gymnast in the world whose DOD could even come close to matching hers, and once she perfected those routines she would be unstoppable.

"Payson Elizabeth Keeler!"

Payson felt her blood run cold. Her mom only used her full name when she was really, really angry. A glance at the calendar on the wall confirmed her fears.

Her GQ issue was out. And her mom saw it.

"Hey Mom," Payson said, trying to keep her tone light. Kim was waiting in the kitchen, standing with her hands on her hips. The magazine was lying on the counter. Payson glanced at it.

The cover was a photograph of all three of them standing together on the top of the podium, Sasha's gold medal looped around all three of their necks. Austin had an arm around each her and Kelly. Payson thought they looked fantastic.

"What the hell is this?" Kim snapped. Payson looked at her mom; pinched mouth, narrowed eyes, and tense jaw, and knew that this was about to be a battle of epic proportions.

"It's one of the shoots we did last weekend," Payson said. Kim grabbed the magazine from the counter and flipped it open to their spread. Then she slammed it back down and jabbed her finger into one of the pictures; one that showed Kelly and Payson dumping confetti over Austin's head. They looked happy.

"You're practically naked, Payson!" Kim shouted. Payson took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"I'm not exposing anything more than I would in a bathing suit. And the only thing people see here that they don't in a leo is my stomach," Payson reasoned. Kim snorted.

"They're selling you as a sex object, Payson," Kim said. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I'm nineteen and I have spent my entire life molding my body into what it is. After the Olympics are over, I will never have this body again. Why shouldn't I show it off a little bit? Why shouldn't I be proud of it?" Payson asked. "My body is my instrument, finely tuned."

"There's a difference between showcasing your finely tuned instrument in the gym and exposing your body in a magazine, Payson. Why did you think this would be okay?" Kim asked. There was still a bite to her tone, but not as much as there was and Payson knew her mom was slowly calming down.

"Because I'm an adult Mom, and I thought it was time that everyone, you and Dad included, started seeing me as one," Payson said. She made sure to keep her tone as even and calm as possible. She didn't want to spark her mom's fury again, but she wanted to be honest.

Kim stared at Payson for a moment, and Payson could see her thinking hard, like she wanted to agree with her, but couldn't quite bring herself to.

"You have to understand, Payson, that you will always be a little girl to your dad and me. Our little girl. No matter how old you are, no matter if you're married or have little girls of your own, you'll always be our little girl. I will never be comfortable with you putting yourself on display like this. And I can only imagine what your father's going to say when he gets home."

Payson smiled. Even though it might not sound like she won, she knew her mom had relented and that the only obstacle left to face was her dad. And Sasha, but she didn't care about him. That's what she was telling herself anyway.

#

The gym was deserted on a Saturday morning, which was bad news for Payson because it meant that she and Sasha were going to be alone. It was also the first time Payson would be seeing Sasha since the GQ shoot was released. It would be an interesting morning, to say the least.

The doors were unlocked, but Sasha was nowhere to be seen, so Payson warmed up and started working on the beam.

Payson's new routine was a 6.5 difficulty, the highest in the world and half a point higher than Lauren Tanner's. She started with a forward roll to mount, a relatively simple start, but the higher value stunts came later. She jumped into a standing split, and then an aerial walkover. The routine was all about grace and lines, floating on air. Elegance.

"My office. Now!" Sasha's sudden shout startled Payson so much that she slipped off the beam. Good thing she wasn't in the air when he did it or Payson would have another broken vertebra to deal with.

Sighing and wiping the sweat off her brow, Payson stomped up towards the office.

"What?" she snapped. Sasha stood behind his desk; hands on his narrow hips, looking furious. She took a moment to admire him, to relish in the way he made her blood boil and her skin sing. Even when they were mad as hell at each other, even when Payson wanted to hate him, the attraction between them was tangible. Payson felt it like a tether, pulling her towards him.

Sasha tossed the magazine onto his desk, raising his eyebrows. Payson took a few steps forward and reached for it. She'd already seen the spread a hundred times, but she took the time to look it over again. She wasn't going to let Sasha treat her like a child anymore. She was proud of how she looked.

"These are great," Payson said, setting the magazine back down on the desk. Sasha's gaze darkened as his eyes narrowed to slits.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sasha asked. Payson shrugged.

"I wasn't, really. I did it because I wanted to, nothing more complex than that," she said. Sasha snorted.

"This was irresponsible of you, Payson, putting your body out there for anyone to see. It's disgusting," Sasha spat. Payson felt heat flair through her cheeks.

"I'm disgusting?" she growled.

"No, but the way you're objectifying yourself is. Did you even think about that? How many men will have your picture tacked to their walls? How many of them will be fantasizing about you because of these pictures?" Sasha asked. Something flared in his eyes and Payson felt her breath catch.

She wanted to laugh when she realized what it was. Sasha was jealous. He was jealous of Rigo for being allowed to be with her, and he was jealous of all those men he talked about for being allowed to fantasize about her while he was not.

"You're jealous."

"You're bloody well right I am! There should only be one person who gets to see you like that, Payson, and it should be me," Sasha growled, closing the distance between them in just a few smooth steps. Payson's head swam with the scent of his cologne.

"You lost that privilege when you started going out with my old babysitter. And if I recall, you told me to go out with someone else. It isn't my fault you can't handle that," she said, trying to be harsh, even though the words came out in more of a whisper. Sasha reached out and twirled the end of her ponytail around his fingers.

"I'm not seeing Kristen anymore. That's what I was trying to tell you that night you slammed the door in my face," Sasha muttered. Payson felt her heart stall; he wasn't marrying Kristen, he wasn't over her.

"Yeah, well, I'm still seeing Rigo." The protest was weak, because Sasha's lips were lowering to hers and instead of pushing him away, she curled her fists into his t-shirt and pulled him closer.

His lips slanted over hers, sealing them together for the first time in weeks. Payson groaned and sank into him, looping her arms around his neck and rising up to her toes, wanting to be as close as possible. She felt like she could finally breathe again.

"Payson," Sasha groaned, tearing his lips from hers to press smacking kisses along her jaw and neck. Payson shivered.

"Shh," she said. "Just kiss me."

**A/N: A HUGE thank you to hazel-3017, JTellersOldLady, BearyFunny66, rons1love, Isabella, anon, EkoObi, Silvercrystal77, DarkMoon2222, Kiwiflea, Ncisluver, flowerchild3286, and Ida-cullen for your reviews! You guys are awesome!**

**So I'm posting this chapter in honor of tonight's MIOBI series finale. Sad, but also yay because anything after Trials can forever be left up to us :D I hope you all love it, however be warned that just because Sasha and Payson are back to kissing does not mean everything will be sunshine and roses. **

**I promise the next chapter will come faster (or at least I hope it does) but it will definitely come faster if you guys review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kaylie Cruz never went into the gym early on a Saturday morning. Really, she could count on one hand the number of times she'd been there more than ten minutes early, but with everything that had been going on between her and Austin and Kelly, she needed some time alone in the gym so that she could focus.

Once she was inside, she saw that the floor was empty. She frowned. Payson was always in the gym on Saturday mornings because of the time she had to give up for publicity. And her car was in the parking lot, so she must be somewhere.

Voices echoed out of the office. One was definitely Sasha.

"You're bloody well right I am! There should only be one person who gets to see you like that, and it should be me!"

Kaylie frowned. What in the world was Sasha talking about, and who was he talking to? She moved closer, staying tight to the wall so that no one would see her, her instinct to be nosy overriding all else. There were more words, but whoever was talking was too quiet for her to hear.

"Yeah, well, I'm still seeing Rigo." That was Payson. Kaylie frowned. Payson and Sasha were obviously arguing over something, but that wasn't exactly new. They'd been arguing a lot lately. But Kaylie couldn't figure out what they were arguing about. Her gut said it was way personal, but the words were too out of context.

She risked pulling away from the wall enough to look into the office, crossing her fingers that she didn't get caught spying.

What she saw made her gasp, and she barely got her hand over her mouth in time to stifle it. Payson and Sasha were wrapped in a heated embrace; his lips were attached to her neck and he had her bent over backwards. Payson's hands were buried in his hair and her head was thrown back, her eyes screwed shut. She looked like she was enjoying it.

"Stop, Sasha," Payson breathed. Kaylie scurried back to her place against the wall and then dashed out of the gym. She would give them a few minutes while she tried to process what she'd just seen, and then she would go back in.

Were Sasha and Payson involved? Clearly they were to some extent, but what kind of relationship did they have? Payson just said she was with Rigo, and as far as Kaylie knew Sasha was with some blonde cheerleader type. Kaylie was at a loss. It didn't seem like Payson was at all opposed to his advances, at least not in the way that would cause her concern.

"Hey Kaylie," Kelly said. Kaylie jumped. She hadn't heard Kelly's car pull into the parking lot.

"Uh…Kelly," she greeted. The two of them weren't friends, not after what happened with Austin, but they were still trying to be mostly civil to each other.

Kelly moved towards the doors, ready to go inside. Kaylie's heart started to race. Until she figured out what was going on, she didn't want anyone else to know about Payson and Sasha, not if they couldn't be trusted, and Kelly had proven time and again that she was not trustworthy.

"What are you doing out here?" Kelly asked, watching Kaylie carefully, looking part amused and part wary.

"Um…just enjoying the fresh air," Kaylie stammered. Kelly frowned.

"If you wanted fresh air why didn't you just hang out at home?" Kelly asked. Kaylie sputtered. She had no response, but she didn't want Kelly to go inside and see Payson and Sasha. Then an idea occurred to her.

"Payson and Sasha are fighting about something. He sounds really pissed, so we should just stay out of their way," Kaylie said. Everyone at the Rock hated it when Payson and Sasha fought, and most of the time they all found a way to get out of the gym. Kelly blanched.

"Oh shit," Kelly breathed, like she knew something that Kaylie didn't. She pushed past Kaylie and reached for the door.

"No, wait!" Kaylie called, but Kelly was already inside.

#

Payson thought she might faint. Sasha was everywhere; one hand tangled in her hair and the other roaming over her butt, her stomach, her chest. His tongue was ravaging her mouth. After so long apart the proximity and sensation was overwhelming.

"Sasha," she begged, though she wasn't sure what she was begging him for. Sasha's hands both drifted down to her thighs and then he lifted, setting her on the desk and urging her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did, squeezing tightly and pulling him as close as possible. He ground his hips against hers and her head fell back as she groaned.

"Payson. Don't ever leave me again. Please," he begged. She wanted to remind him that he was the one who left her, but then his teeth were scraping over her jaw and she couldn't see straight, much less form actual words.

And then a million things happened at once. Footsteps sounded on the stairs outside the office, but didn't register in Payson's mind until someone shouted.

"Whoa!" It was Kelly. Sasha was so startled he bit her shoulder, hard enough to make her cry out. She fell back, banging her elbow on the edge of the desk and causing shooting pains up and down her arm.

"Damn it Kelly!" Payson hissed. Sasha's eyes went wide as he scrambled off of her. Kelly just laughed. She laughed so hard that Payson could hear her struggling to breathe and she needed to lean against the doorway for support.

"Sorry, sorry!" Kelly cried, waving her hand and turning her back to the office. Sasha turned panicked eyes to Payson.

"She's known all along," Payson assured him. "Apparently we aren't as stealthy as we think we are."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Sasha asked, not as angry as she expected him to be. Instead he seemed to be fighting an amused smile. Kelly was still trying to hold in her laughter, snorting with the effort.

"Oh get it together, KP. I didn't laugh when you told me about you and Austin," Payson snapped.

"Wait, Kelly and Austin? Why don't I know about anything that goes on in my gym?" Sasha asked. Payson just rolled her eyes.

Kelly took another moment to compose herself, pressing a hand to her chest and taking deep, gulping breaths as she calmed down.

"Look, as much as I want to be happy that the two of you are at least heading down the road towards back together, we have a problem," Kelly finally said.

"What problem?" Payson asked.

"I think Kaylie saw you guys."

Payson felt her heart drop to her feet and had to reach out for the desk to steady herself. An instant later she felt Sasha's hand close around her elbow, keeping her upright.

"Why do you think that?" Sasha asked. His voice was too calm, too measured. Payson knew he was about to lose control on the inside.

"She was standing outside when I got here, looking kind of freaked, and when I asked her why she said it was because she wanted some fresh air. Then when I pressed her about it, she said you two were fighting but she looked way more green than usual. Then when I started in here, she tried to stop me. I don't know, I just feel like she saw you," Kelly explained. Payson felt her knees wobble and sank back down against the desk.

"We were fighting," she said weakly.

"Is there a way for us to find out what she knows without admitting anything in case all she saw really was us fighting?" Sasha asked.

"It should come from me," Kelly said. "Maybe if I make some comments that just seem like speculation , she'll give herself away."

"She's never going to come right out and tell you," Payson said. Kelly rolled her eyes.

"No, but that girl can't lie for shit. Her face will give it all away," Kelly said.

Sasha rubbed his hand across his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. Payson could see all the tension he was holding in, especially in his shoulders, and she wished she could just massage it right out. Finally he stopped pacing the small area behind his desk and looked at the both of them.

"Go warm up and start working. Try to act as normal as possible and if anyone asks I was yelling at the both of you for that ridiculous GQ spread. Kelly, try to ferret out what Kaylie knows but don't let it distract you from training. The Classic is only two weeks away and even though everyone knows you two are the best we've got, you still need to make a strong showing," he explained. Kelly and Payson both nodded and moved towards the door.

Sasha stopped Payson just as she was about to pass through the doorway, twining his fingers through hers. He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

"We have a lot to talk about," he said. Payson met his eyes for a brief moment, nodding.

"Yeah. I'll drop by the apartment tonight," she promised.

She followed Kelly out of the office.

#

It was another ten minutes before Kaylie finally ventured into the gym. Payson and Kelly were working through each other's beam routines like nothing happened.

"What took you so long?" Kelly asked over her shoulder. Kaylie wandered over.

"Uh, I don't know. I just wasn't ready to come inside yet," Kaylie said. She refused to look Payson in the eye.

"Well, you missed Sasha giving us a total earful about the GQ shoot we did with Austin. I mean, he was really pissed," Kelly said casually. "I'm surprised he didn't suspend us."

"He wouldn't do that," Kaylie muttered. Kelly just shrugged.

"Well, in any case, I'm glad it's over. I've never seen Sasha so mad," Kelly said.

"Will you two shut up? I'm trying to land a double flic-flac and if you keep distracting me I'm going to land on my head," Payson hissed.

"Tighten up your core," Kelly suggested. Payson did and landed the move solidly.

A few more moves and she threw herself into the dismount, a double back handspring, double pike that would earn her major points. She saluted Sasha, who was watching from the office, and then turned to Kelly and Kaylie.

"How was that?" she asked.

"Wow," Kaylie breathed. Payson let herself smile. "You won't have any trouble being ready for the Classic."

"I'm not even sure I'm going to use these routines at the Classic. I might use my old ones and then pull these out for the Visa Champs and Trials," Payson explained. Both Kelly and Kaylie gaped at her.

"Are you kidding me? Payson, come on, there's no way anyone will be able to match your routines by Trials. Why not debut them at the Classic, where there isn't much pressure?" Kelly asked.

"Because I don't know how much I can improve on them between the Classic and the Olympics, and I don't want people to say I peaked at a Nationals qualifier and then coasted the rest of the way to London," Payson said. Kelly sighed and threw an arm around Payson's shoulders.

"Payson, you're such a perfectionist it would be impossible for you to peak before London," Kelly assured her. Payson sighed, glancing up at the office. For weeks she'd been avoiding Sasha, but she needed to hear his opinion and after that angry make out session, she thought they might be in an okay place.

"I'm going to talk to Sasha about it," she said, pulling away from Kelly's embrace.

"He just spent ten minutes bitching us out and she's running right back to him with her issues. They're like an old married couple," Kelly said as Payson disappeared into the office. Kaylie shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh, I guess," Kaylie said.

"You know," Kelly said. "They make a pretty good looking couple. Do you think they'll ever actually get together? Even if it's just once…just to see?"

Kaylie sputtered, her cheeks flushing as she kicked absently at the mats. It was right then that Kelly knew she'd seen Payson and Sasha. A Kaylie who didn't know would have laughed with Kelly, would have speculated about the blonde babies Payson and Sasha could someday have, but she was way too uncomfortable to know nothing.

"You saw them this morning, didn't you?" Kelly accused. Kaylie's head snapped up, her eyes locking onto Kelly's.

"What…"

"Don't play stupid Kaylie, it's never worked for you. You saw them in the office, right?"

For a long moment Kaylie just stared at Kelly. Then she nodded.

"Yeah, I did."

"Forget it," Kelly snapped. Kaylie frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Forget you saw it. Forget you know anything. Look, I know it's not conventional, but Payson is a legal adult and they are so good together. They're just now starting to work through their shit and towards getting back together, but if they think for even a second someone else knows…they might never recover. We could lose Sasha, or Payson, or both of them. So you're going to forget you saw anything, wipe it from your mind, and if you so much as think about telling…"

"I wouldn't do that! I'm not Lauren," Kaylie hissed. Kelly arched an eyebrow at her like she wasn't so sure, but pressed on anyway.

"Just erase it from your memory. I'm going to tell them you just heard them arguing and after everything with your parents it makes you super uncomfortable so you split. Got it?" Kelly asked. She glanced at the office to make sure Payson wasn't coming back. She'd spent almost two months watching Payson be miserable over not being with Sasha, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin her friend's chance at happiness, not when they were so close to finally letting themselves be together.

"Yeah," Kaylie said with a nod. "I got it."

#

Payson sighed as she relaxed into the couch in Sasha's apartment. The leather was soft beneath her, cushier than any bed, and part of her just wanted to nap the evening away. His apartment was a sanctuary, and she'd been so long without it.

"Here," Sasha said, setting a mug of tea on the table in front of her. She curled her hands around it, breathing in the lemon scented steam, and held it close to her body. Sasha sat down beside her, their knees brushing. It was the closest they'd let themselves get to each other in weeks, not counting the incident in Sasha's office.

"Thanks," Payson whispered into her tea.

"That was a close call today," Sasha said, leaning back into the cushions and draping his arm over the back of the couch.

"We're always going to have close calls Sasha, as long as we're keeping this…whatever it is, a secret," Payson reminded him. He reached out to toy with the ends of her hair.

"What is this?" he whispered. Payson felt her heart falter as she met his gaze. His eyes were always so intense.

"What…what do you want it to be?" Slowly, so that she could pull back if she wanted to, Sasha leaned in and brushed his lips against hers once, twice, and then a third time.

"I don't want to be without you anymore. The last six weeks have been the worst of my life, trying to stay away from you and then fighting with you. I can't stand it, Payson," he whispered, his lips resting against her cheek. Payson snuggled into his side, snaking her arm over his waist and burrowing into the crook of his neck. She breathed deeply, letting the scent of sandalwood tickle her nose.

"We have to be extra careful," she told him.

"I'll be on my best behavior, I promise," he said, pressing a kiss to her jaw. She hummed, spurring him on.

Sasha gently scraped his teeth over the shell of her ear and shifted on the couch, pressing forward so that his body blanketed Payson's. She held him close, happy to feel the weight of him against her again. She sighed, her entire body tingling, as he trailed his lips down the column of her neck to her collarbone. His fingers traced the tiny sliver of skin exposed between her jeans and her top before sliding his hand beneath her shirt and trailing over her ribs. Payson squirmed. He knew that was her ticklish spot.

The feel of his fingers against her bare skin, his lips over her pulse, and the stubble of his chin tickling her were adding up to overwhelming sensation. Pleasure was dragging Payson under and she was ready to surrender to it, ready to give herself over to the man above her, until some else's face swam into her mind.

"Sasha, wait," Payson gasped, unable to truly catch her breath. Sasha stilled, but didn't let her up. "Rigo, I have to break up with him before we do anything. I can't…I can't be that girl."

This time Sasha did sit up, pulling her with him. His eyes were dark with desire and disappointment, but he nodded.

"I'm sorry," Payson said, trailing her fingertips over the stubble on his cheek. Sasha caught her hand and pressed it fully to his face.

"Don't be. It's part of what makes you, you. And I love that about you," he assured her.

Payson smiled at him and then leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. His acceptance, his quiet strength, was exactly what she needed.

Steeling herself for the confrontation she knew was coming, she gave Sasha one last lingering kiss and then walked out the door.

#

Rigo was already waiting for her at Spruce Juice when Payson arrived. His trademark knit cap looked like it was about to fall off, even though it never did, and he was playing with his iPhone. Payson didn't want to hurt him, he was a nice guy, but her heart belonged to Sasha and she knew it would be worse for everyone if she strung Rigo along.

"Hey," she said to get his attention. He smiled as he looked up at her, and then stood and kissed her cheek.

"Hey. How was practice?" Rigo tucked his phone into his back pocket, giving Payson his full attention. She squirmed uncomfortably.

"Uh, fine I guess. I decided to debut my new routines at the Classic instead of waiting for the Visa Champs. And Sasha was pissed about the GQ shoot," Payson said. Rigo's gaze darkened.

"For once I think I agree with him. I get that you're an adult and all, but I don't love the idea of every man in the world being able to ogle my girlfriend," Rigo said, his voice gentle. He wasn't thrilled, but he was staying calm, which bode well for the conversation they were about to have.

Taking a deep breath, Payson decided to dive right in.

"I don't think I should be your girlfriend anymore," Payson said. She tried to keep her voice firm, but it wasn't as strong as she'd hoped.

Rigo blanched, his entire face going slack. She knew it was a surprise to him, no doubt he thought things had been going really well.

"What?" he whispered.

"I'm so sorry, it just…I like you Rigo. You're a really nice guy and I know you're going to be great in London, but I just don't have any romantic feelings for you. I'm sorry," Payson said. She hated doing this to him, hated to hurt him.

"So the last few weeks you were what? Pretending?" Rigo asked. His voice held no venom, just shock.

"No! I thought…well, I liked you and I just thought that given more time to get to know you I would start to feel more strongly. But I haven't, and I'm not going to," Payson said. She didn't feel like she was explaining herself well, but it was the best she could do without letting anything slip about Sasha.

"It's okay, Payson. I knew you weren't feeling it, you were holding yourself at a distance. Don't apologize for doing what you have to do. Can we still be friends?"

At that request, Payson breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'd really like that Rigo," she said, smiling for the first time since she sat down. "I wish I could stay, but I have to get home."

"Sure. Stay in touch, okay?" Rigo pulled her into a hug.

"Definitely." Leaving Spruce Juice, Payson climbed in her car and steered it back in the direction of Sasha's apartment. Now that she was no longer with Rigo, they were free to do what they please, and they had a lot of catching up to do.

**A/N: You guys are awesome! Thanks so much to Isabella, JTellersOldLady, Ida-cullen, BearyFunny66, Barrel of Monkeys, flowerchild3286, DarkMoon2222, mtm2011, poppetrussell (congrats again on the baby, and I'm honored to be your first post-baby review!), Ncisluver, and hazel-3017 for your reviews! Your reward is me posting after just two days! **

**So, the next chapter is going to be the Classic. I thought it was about time for a gymnastics heavy chapter, and it may or may not coincide with the ACTUAL Classic (Jordyn Weiber for the win! I gotta cheer on my hometown girl!) . This also means that I'm planning for it to be a long chapter, and depending on how carried away I get, it could take a little bit for me to get it written. But I will try my best to make it quick. **

**Let me know what you thought of the chapter! If you do, I'll be even more motivated to update sooner. I also may or may not be procrastinating on final projects. ;) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"Remember, ladies, this competition is a qualifier for Nationals so everyone needs to be on their game. I want this week to focus on the little things in your routines; extensions, landings, overall execution. If you haven't got the moves by now, you're not going to get them. Polish. However, polish does not mean slack, so get to work. Kelly, Payson, could I see the two of you a moment?" Sasha asked when he finished his Monday morning pep talk. He gave them at the start of each week, letting the girls know what to expect from him, and what he expected from them, plus any schedule changes.

Payson and Kelly wandered over to him, waiting to see what he had to say as he scribbled something on his clipboard.

"I want the two of you to take it easy this week. You can't always rest on your laurels, but remember that this isn't a make it or break it event for either of you. Don't kill yourselves working this week, okay?"

"Got it," Kelly said for the both of them.

"Good. Kelly, let's see your bars."

#

Payson sat on the couch in Sasha's apartment, staring at nothing. He was on the phone with someone from the NGO discussing who knew what, and it left her with a rare chance to just space out. Of course, her mind wasn't totally blank. One face kept popping into her thoughts, no matter how hard she tried to push it away: Lauren.

She hadn't seen Lauren in months, not since her move to Denver, but the bitch of the beam would be at the Classic, and Payson was not looking forward to it. She wasn't scared exactly, just apprehensive. Things were going well now that she and Sasha were back together and she was terrified that Lauren would find a way to muck it up like she always did. The girl was shrewd, and she saw things other people didn't. Plus, Payson just really wanted to kick her ass.

"Pay? You okay?" Sasha asked, sitting down beside her and tossing his cell phone onto the coffee table.

"Lauren will be at the Classic this weekend," she explained. Sasha's arm came around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side. He pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Are you worried about what she'll say or about what you'll do?" Sasha asked. He reclined on the couch, taking her with him and twisting their bodies so that they were lying side by side. His fingertips traced random patterns on her shoulder.

"Both," Payson muttered, breathing him in.

"You know the best way to shut her up is to beat her on beam, right?" Sasha asked quietly. Payson shifted in an effort to get more comfortable, tossing her leg over his hips and wedging it between his knees. He shifted too and gave a tiny gasp. Payson fought a smile. She loved that it was so easy for her to turn him on.

"I know," Payson said. Sasha's fingers slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, tracing her scars. "Why do you think I've been ignoring your advice and working my butt off this week?"

Sasha laughed and then leaned in to kiss her. Payson was pretty sure he intended it to be a light kiss, a reassurance more than anything, but it quickly escalated. She moaned happily, her mouth opening beneath his. He took advantage, his tongue darting out to play with hers.

They shifted again so that Payson was more on top of him than beside him. Sasha's hands slipped fully under her shirt, skimming her sides, following the curve of her hips and then skating over her ribs until he hit the band of her bra. He paused there for a moment, just holding her close, and then one hand went to her back and the other slid around front.

His fingers traced the edge of her bra, making her shiver, before dipping inside to cup her. She gasped, arching into his hand.

"Sasha," she breathed, before diving in to kiss him again. She wanted him to touch her forever.

Her fingers were tracing the lines of his well defined abs, skating along the top of his jeans, flirting with the button, when the alarm on her phone went off.

"Damn it," she groaned. Her hand stilled as Sasha sighed and rearranged her top for her.

"Go," he said, giving her a firm pat on the hip. "Anymore "extra training" tonight and your mum will have my head."

Payson crawled gracefully over Sasha and grabbed her bag and her phone. Then she leaned over to kiss him quickly, one more time.

"Enjoy your day off with Kelly tomorrow. See you Friday morning."

"See you Friday."

Payson had to swallow the three little words that almost popped out of her mouth next.

#

Kelly and Payson were reclined on two chaise lounge chairs by the side of Austin's pool, soaking in the sun. Sasha had given all the athletes competing in the Classic the day off to rest and recover, and the three of them were spending it together.

"So how's it going now that you and Sasha are honeys again?" Kelly asked. Payson sighed happily as the sun warmed her skin.

"Great. Sort of," Payson amended. She heard Kelly groan beside her.

"Sort of?"

"Well, it's nothing bad really. Last night when I left the apartment, as I said goodbye I almost said…it," Payson said, not quite ready to say them out loud.

"It?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah. It. Those three little words that I've never said to anyone in this context," Payson explained. As Kelly finally realized what she meant, she bolted upright, pushing her sunglasses up on her head.

"You said it or you almost said it?"

"Almost."

"Why?" Kelly asked. Payson laughed.

"I don't know! They just almost popped out. I didn't even think about it. It was just like, see you later, I love you." Payson explained, her voice catching as she said it.

"Well…damn PK, I'm speechless," Kelly stammered. Payson stifled a giggle; Kelly Parker was never speechless.

"I know, it's crazy right? I don't think I'm even ready to say it, and I really don't think he's ready to hear it. I have no idea what came over me," Payson said. Kelly settled back, dropping her sunglasses over her eyes again.

"We're sixty two days from London, Pay. Call it Olympic fever."

"Sixty two days," Payson breathed.

#

"Welcome to the Secret U.S. Classic. I'm Tim Dagget and beside me is Shannon Miller, our guest commentator today. Shannon, how are you feeling about today?"

"I think this is the first stop on the way to the Olympics, and we're going to see what these girls are made of. Only five of them can be chosen for the Olympic team and there are a lot of senior elites with incredible talent. This is going to be a really hard decision for Marta Karolyi and the rest of the selection committee."

"That's so true. And we have a very unique situation this year in that four of the major contenders all come from the same gym, the Rock in Boulder, Colorado," Tim said.

"Well, that's only sort of true now, Tim. Lauren Tanner has been training at the Rock for years, but recently made the switch to Denver Elite under coach Marty Walsh, who previously coached at the Rock," Shannon corrected him.

"True, I'd forgotten about that for a moment. Let's talk about these four girls, Kaylie Cruz, Lauren Tanner, and the dream team of Kelly Parker and Payson Keeler," Tim prompted. Shannon nodded, taking a moment to think.

"I think Payson and Kelly are shoe-ins. They only keep improving and Payson especially has a degree of difficulty on every apparatus that just can't be matched. And Kelly is just so consistent. Her DOD may not be as high as Payson's, but it's up there and she nails those routines every time, which is something Marta really looks for in a team," Shannon explained.

"And what about Kaylie and Lauren?"

"Both very good gymnasts. Obviously they won't be considered All Around contenders, but Lauren has a very strong beam routine and Kaylie is always a delight on floor. She might not have the DOD that some would like, but she makes up for it in execution. They're both also very solid on the vault."

"So what do you think we can expect from the four of them today?" Tim asked.

"Tim, you know better than trying to predict a gymnastics event like this. The pressure is on for these girls, especially those on the cusp of being Olympic contenders. The only thing I can predict is that it's going to be an interesting day, for sure."

"That's the truth. And we'll be back in just a few minutes for the official start of the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic."

#

Kelly was chalking her hands, getting ready to work on her bars warm up, when Kaylie came up to her, looking shy.

"Can I help you?" Kelly asked, trying very hard not to snap at Kaylie.

"Can I borrow your phone? Mine's dead and I just want to tell my parents where in the rotation I am. I would have asked Payson but she's…"

"Busy on beam. I can see that. Yeah, go ahead. It's in the front pocket of my bag," Kelly said, waving vaguely in the direction of her stuff. Kaylie mumbled thanks and jogged to the edge of the podium and jumping off in front of the Rock's section of fold up chairs.

Kelly watched Kaylie to make sure she found the right bag and then turned to the bars.

And then her whole body went stiff as she remember the text messages between her and Austin, some of them kind of racy, and one that she hadn't had time to open. It would be the first thing Kaylie saw.

Kelly turned around, hoping it wasn't too late and she'd be able to stop Kaylie. But as her eyes found her teammate, she knew it was over. Kaylie held the phone limply in her hand as she stared at Kelly, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. Her bottom lip quivered.

"Shit," Kelly hissed.

Kaylie turned and ran towards the locker room.

No one would ever call them friends, but Kelly never meant for Kaylie to find out about her and Austin that way. She meant to tell her, face to face, once Kaylie had recovered from the break up. The last thing Kelly wanted was to potentially compromise Kaylie's performance. She didn't deserve that. So Kelly did the only thing she could think to do. She ran after her.

"Kaylie!" Kelly cried, pushing through the locker room doors.

"So I was right all along?" Kaylie said. Kelly whipped around to find her huddled on the floor, her back pressed to the wall. "After you two denied it and told me I was being crazy, it was true?"

"No!" Kelly shouted. Kaylie shot her a withering glare. "I mean, we weren't when you thought we were. This is…new. But we really weren't doing anything until after you guys broke up."

"How long?" Kaylie asked in a whisper.

"A couple weeks. Since our last promo weekend," Kelly answered honestly. Kaylie got to her feet slowly, and held Kelly's phone out to her while staring at the floor. She moved to leave the locker room, but Kelly caught her arm. "Kaylie…"

"You're a manipulative bitch, Kelly Parker. Just like your mother."

Kelly stood in the locker room, shocked into silence as Kaylie made her way back to the arena.

#

"Welcome to the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic! I'm Tim Dagget and joining me in Chicago is Shannon Miller. Shannon, just a few minutes ago we were talking about Kelly Parker, who's about to perform on the uneven bars. You were saying she's very consistent, but right now she looks pretty visibly shaken."

"She does, Tim. This is really very odd for Kelly Parker. She has always been that gymnast that can just forget everything and go out and win gold, but she looks pretty scattered right now," Shannon agreed.

"Let's see if she can get it together for long enough to perform," Tim said, his voice dying to a whisper.

The crowd fell silent as Kelly stood a little ways from the high bar. She adjusted the straps on her grips and took a breath, her hands shaking as she clapped them together. She took a running start, jumping up to catch the high bar and then swinging herself up into a handstand. Her body bowed as she fell into the next move.

"Oh!" Tim cried as she barely held onto the hand stand. "That is not a good way to start the routine."

"No, it isn't. And watch this, she's barely holding on as she transitions through this skill, called a Hindorff, straight to the low bar. That's going to be a big deduction for her," Tim said.

"It really is Tim. She seems to have let go of all control. This routine has a desperate air to it, like she's careening out of control and is just trying to finish it without killing herself," Shannon said, shaking her head.

"And here she goes, almost done with the routine…oh! " Tim exclaimed as Kelly fell to her knees from the high bar.

"Kelly Parker falling from the uneven bars is almost unheard of. I don't think I've ever seen it in competition, Tim," Shannon said. "Especially during a skill like a Tkachev, which is really an old skill for her. Something must have happened, because she looked much stronger during podium training."

"Here she goes, back up to the high bar with a lift from coach Sasha Belov. Let's see if she can finish this out strong."

Kelly pushed herself into a handstand, swinging around the high bar to get her momentum going, and then rotating 180 degrees at the top. She swung into a Jam, piking at the top of the bar so that her leg were between her body and the bar as she looped around.

"That looks pretty solid, considering what just happened," Tim said.

"Strange, considering it's an E skill," Shannon mused.

"Here comes the dismount, let's see if she can stick it. She's going to give us a double front…oh, just a bit too much momentum and she sits right down!" Tim cried as Kelly scrambled to her feet, saluting the judges and the crowd.

"That was a disaster, Tim, at least coming from someone as solid and consistent as Kelly Parker," Shannon said.

"Let's hope we can chalk it up to a bad day and she'll be back in top form by the time we see her again at Nationals."

#

Kelly bit back tears. She couldn't remember the last time she'd performed so badly. She fell! Kelly Parker never fell, especially not from the bars.

"Kelly, what's wrong?" Payson asked, her voice laced with concern. Kelly just shook her head, pushing past her friend and ripping off her grips. "Kelly, talk to me!"

"Kaylie knows about me and Austin. She said…she said I was just like my mother." To Kelly, it was the very worst thing Kaylie could have said. She hated her mother, everyone hated Sheila, and Kelly's mission in life was to be nothing like her.

"Oh Kelly," Payson gasped. "She was just lashing out. It's not true. You're nothing like your mother. Okay? Kaylie is just mad."

They both stopped and looked up as cheers erupted from the crowd. Kaylie was on floor, killing it, sticking every move, and the crowd loved it. The entire arena started clapping in time with her music.

"I just gotta go…I don't know. Cool off." Kelly brushed past Payson, not really interested in being comforted.

"Well, well," someone said from behind Payson. She turned to see Lauren standing, arms crossed over her chest and a haughty look on her face. "It looks to me like the great Kelly Parker is crumbling. I wonder what it will look like for Sasha if one of his gymnasts has a mental breakdown? So soon after a sexual abuse scandal, a pregnant gymnast, and an eating disorder?"

"Shut up, Lauren," Payson snapped. When you strung all the events together, it truly did look like there was something toxic at the Rock, but it wasn't Sasha. He was the only thing holding them all together.

"I sure hope you don't self destruct like that. I'd like to beat you on beam knowing that you did your best," Lauren said. Then she spun on her heel and marched away.

#

"Shannon, we're about to see the girl everyone calls "Queen of the Beam" perform. Now, if I'm not mistaken Lauren Tanner has the highest beam DOD of anyone in the country right now, is that right?" Tim asked.

"Yes, that's right. She's at a six point seven starting value, with Payson Keeler close behind at a six point five. This is the only apparatus on which Payson does not have the highest DOD. Between these two girls it's all going to come down to execution."

"Here goes Lauren with her mount, a round off tuck full," Tim explained.

"A very difficult mount, which she lands perfectly. Lauren's strength has always been in her landings; it's almost as though her feet are made of super glue. The girl just doesn't fall."

"She's got some very impressive tumbling here," Tim said as Lauren threw herself into a side flic-flac with a full twist, then down into a hip circle.

"And now we're getting a standing Arabian, another F skill, very difficult," Shannon said.

"Ooh! What a save. That was a pretty big balance check though, she'll have some deductions on that one," Tim said.

"But the rest of her routine, with the exception of the dismount, is relatively simple so she shouldn't have any more chances for big deductions."

"Yes, the rest of this routine is just…flawless," Tim breathed.

"Here comes the dismount," Shannon said, dropping her voice. "A round off, back handspring, double pike."

"Oh! And a huge step off to the left. That will be a few more deductions."

"It will, but you know what? With Lauren's DOD even those deductions will still keep her well ahead of most of the competition," Shannon explained.

"We'll just have to wait and see what Payson Keeler can come up with. We'll be back after a few minutes with more from the 2012 Secret U.S. Classic."

#

Payson's vision was unfocused as she stood just off the podium, visualizing her routine one last time. Lauren's performance had been damn good; even with a big balance check and a huge step off the dismount, she'd pulled a 15.500, and for Payson to beat that she was going to have to hit every single movement. There was no room for even the slightest deduction.

A warm, calloused hand landed on the back of her neck, the thumb stroking her pulse point. She shivered as she blinked and Sasha's face came into focus.

"You ready?" he asked. She nodded, closing her eyes and taking a moment to relish in the feel of his hand on her skin. She breathed deeply, imagining that she could pull strength from his touch.

"I'm ready," she breathed.

"Good. Payson, this routine is strong. You can do it," he whispered. She felt his breath across her cheek.

"The last two major competitions I was in, I seriously injured myself," she breathed. Visions of her fall from the bars a Nationals and her bad vault landing at Worlds flashed through her mind. Sasha's grip on her neck tightened.

"You'll be fine. You're not going to fall," he promised. Payson nodded.

She stepped up to the podium.

#

"Here we've got Payson Keeler up on beam. Now, she has really reinvented herself in the past year," Tim said.

"Yes, she has. She's completely re-stylized herself; going from a gymnast whose sole selling point was the ability to throw big power moves to a gracefully, artistic, well rounded gymnast. She now combines that power she had before with a lot of elegance," Shannon explained.

"Here she goes with a forward roll onto the beam, then into a standing split," Tim narrated as Payson moved through the routine.

"Look at those lines," Shannon pointed out. "Her extensions are just unbelievable, even into this double flic-flac."

"And there's a jump she uses in her floor routine, a switch split ring leap. Look at the way her toes almost touch her head," Tim said.

"I've started to think of this as sort of her signature move, Tim, and she does it so beautifully."

"So far, I have not seen a single spot for deductions," Tim said. Payson launched herself into switch leap and then straight into a back somersault with barely a moment's pause.

"I haven't either. As long as she lands the dismount, I think she'll have this event won."

#

Payson allowed herself just a moment to pause at the end of the beam. Her routine had been nearly perfect so far. No balance checks, no slips, nothing. Now it was just the dismount left. Taking a deep breath, Payson took a running step and then pushed her body into a back handspring. Her arms absorbed the shock as she flipped to her feet and immediately launched into another. This time, she pushed her body out over the end of the beam, and there was only blue mat beneath her. She forced her body into a tight pike and rotated twice.

Her feet hit the mat and stayed there, not even the tiniest hop betraying the power of the move. She paused just for an instant to make sure she was steady and then straightened and threw her arms up in a salute to the judges, and then the crowd. The roar of cheers and applause made her head spin and she gave the crowd an extra little wave.

She ran from the podium, not even pausing as she jumped down and into Sasha's open arms. She had to fight the urge to kiss him full on the mouth, in front of everyone.

"That was perfect Payson, I'm so proud of you," he whispered in her ear.

She couldn't help the grin that threatened to split her face in two.

#

"That was fantastic!" Tim exclaimed as the crowd watched Payson throw herself into Sasha's embrace.

"It seems like coach Belov agrees. He is all smiles right now," Shannon pointed out.

"Now we just have to see…a 15.700, beating out Lauren Tanner by two tenths of a point! That is incredible!"

"I don't know if you noticed this Tim, but Lauren and Payson exchanged words a little earlier, and they didn't seem like friendly ones. If I had to guess, this was Payson teaching Lauren a very hard lesson," Shannon said with a little laugh.

"I think it's safe to say that the Queen of the Beam has been dethroned."

#

Payson reclined on her bed in the hotel room she was sharing with Kelly. She was exhausted, but still too keyed up from her victory over to Lauren to really relax.

"I'm going to run down to Austin's room," Kelly said, gathering her room key and her cell phone. Payson propped herself up on her elbows and studied her friend carefully.

"I know you aren't happy with how your bars turned out, but you did really well today Kelly. You pulled it together for floor, beam, and vault; Marta won't hold one bad bars set against you," Payson assured her. Kelly grimaced.

"I know, but there really wasn't any reason for my bars to fall apart. I know better than to let the competition get to me," Kelly said. "I'll be back later."

Payson flopped back down and threw her arm across her eyes, trying to breathe all the nervous energy out of her body. She heard the door open and close with Kelly's departure and debated texting Sasha.

"What're you thinking about, love?"

Payson jerked upright, shocked to see him leaning one shoulder up against the wall as he stared at her. He smiled lazily.

"You, actually," she said. Sasha pushed off the wall and stalked towards her.

"Oh really?"

"Yes really."

"What about me?" He asked. As he neared the bed he lifted one knee onto it, towering over her and forcing her to lean back.

"How badly I want to do this." Payson reached forward and curled her fist into his t-shirt, pulling his face down to hers and pressing her lips against his. He made a noise deep in his throat that sounded like a cross between a growl and a whimper and crawled farther onto the bed, pressing her back until she lay prone beneath him.

"Kelly went down to Austin's room," she said.

"I know," he muttered against her lips, skimming one hand up her side while bracing his weight on the other elbow.

"She'll be gone at least an hour. Did anyone see you come in?" Payson asked. Sasha made a noise that she thought meant no as he trailed his lips along the line of her jaw and then down to her throat.

"Good," she gasped, fisting her hand in his hair.

"Payson?" Sasha asked. Payson looked down at him, her breath coming faster.

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking," he begged.

She smirked and pulled him in for another kiss.

**A/N: A huge thank you as always to HannahMontana-SG1lover, DancerChick987634, Izzyb101, NCISluver, JTellersOldLady, hazel-3017, LauraW89, Kiwiflea, KFraly, SunOnARainyDay, DarkMoon2222, and Barrel of Monkeys for your reviews! You guys are so awesome. Seriously. You all get cookies. **

**A few things that I have a feeling are going to come up after this chapter: 1) NO, Sasha and Payson are not going to get caught by anyone in the hotel. 2) I know I didn't tell you the overall standings of the Classic, because it really doesn't matter. **

**So, the actual Classic was today and man oh man, I do NOT envy Marta Karolyi right now. Building the Olympic team is going to be exceedingly difficult. **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. As always, pretty please leave a review and let me know what you thought!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Payson stood at the chalk bowl in the middle of the Rock, mindlessly tracing patterns into the white dust. She didn't really need more chalk on her hands, but she wanted to talk to Kaylie and the best place to engineer a chat was the chalk bowl.

They'd all been back from Chicago for three days, Nationals was in a week, and everyone could feel the pressure of the Olympics bearing down on them. The Games were less than three months away and the last thing they needed was for their team to fall apart. As team captain, and friend to both Kelly and Kaylie, Payson felt like it was her job to fix what was broken between them. As much as it could be fixed, anyway.

"Hey," Kaylie said, finally making her way to the chalk bowl.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Payson asked. Kaylie shrugged, staring into the white powder.

"Fine. Pressure's on, you know."

"Yeah." Suddenly, Payson didn't have the words she wanted. For so many years she, Kaylie, and Lauren had been a tight trio, the three best friends there ever were. Now, she could barely even talk to Kaylie. What happened to them? How did everything change so quickly?

"Kaylie, I really wish you would talk to Kelly…" Kaylie held up a hand to stop Payson.

"Leave it alone, Payson. Look, I know now that they didn't start hooking up until after Austin and I broke up, I'm not stupid. But I just can't…I can't be her friend. Please don't ask me to," Kaylie said, staring at the chalk like it had all of life's answers. Payson sighed.

"Do you remember the conversation we had after I found out Lauren sent in the video? When you told me you weren't going to choose and I said I wasn't going to be talking to Lauren if I didn't absolutely have to?" Payson asked. Kaylie frowned, but nodded.

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember how awful you felt when I said that? You felt like I was making you choose anyway. That's how I feel right now. This isn't the end of the world, Kaylie. Austin is just a guy and you and Kelly and me, we all have a dream that's so much bigger than any guy. This whole situation with Kelly and Austin…it could affect your chances of making it to the Olympics if you let it. I don't want that to happen," Payson said. Her words felt jumbled in her mouth, she didn't think she was expressing herself very well, but it was the best she could do.

Kaylie's eye narrowed.

"You think I'm going to let Kelly and Austin get in the way of my performance? Do you not remember the Classic? I held on fine, it was Kelly who fell apart," Kaylie snapped. Payson winced. The conversation wasn't going at all the way she wanted it too.

"No that's not what I'm saying, I just…"

"You know what Payson? Just drop it. We don't all have to be best friends to be good teammates, so you and Kelly can keep whatever secrets you want. Don't worry about me." With that, Kaylie turned on her heel and stomped back to the bars.

Something about Kaylie's words struck her as odd, the way she stressed _you_ when she mentioned keeping secrets. Payson didn't have any secrets, except Sasha, but how could Kaylie possibly know about that? She couldn't. Payson shook her head to clear her mind, she was probably just reading too much into it.

"What was that?" Kelly asked as Payson stood at the end of the beam, getting ready to run through her routine.

"I was just trying to fix things between you and Kaylie. She's not having it," Payson muttered. Kelly snorted.

"I'm not surprised. She was pissed."

"Shouldn't you be more worried about this? We're coming up on Nationals really quickly and if we all make it to the Olympics we're going to need to be…"

"What, best friends? Payson come on. Before we were friends we managed to be on the junior national team together and dominate. If Kaylie wants to hate me, let her hate me," Kelly said dismissively.

Payson just sighed.

#

That night Payson made her excuses to her parents, using Kelly as her cover, and met Sasha at his apartment. It was the first time she'd been able to sneak over there since almost blurting out that she loved him, and she was a little worried she would say it again. Not that she didn't feel it, she did, but she wasn't sure Sasha was ready to hear it.

"Hey," he said when he opened the door. Payson slipped past him into the living room, trailing her fingers along his stomach as she went. She felt him shiver.

"Hey."

"How long do we have?" Sasha asked. Payson sighed. She hated feeling like they were living on borrowed time, but if she wasn't spending the night, she could only get away with staying out so late. And since they weren't sleeping together, she never stayed the night.

"A few hours," she said.

"Want anything?" Sasha asked, moving into the kitchen. He put the kettle on, knowing Payson wanted tea, and she wondered why he even bothered asking anymore.

While he prepared the tea, they made small talk, chatting about their evenings since training wrapped up. Payson told him about Becca's newest public school exploits and about how much she hated that Kelly and Kaylie couldn't work it out.

"I feel like it's the situation with Lauren all over again," Payson groaned, letting her head slump forward onto the counter. Sasha set a mug of tea in front of her and then came around and settled his hands on her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs in circles.

"Except it's not," he reminded her. "They aren't trying to ruin each other's careers or getting into fist fights in the gym. You have to let them be, Payson."

Payson groaned happily under the pressure of his hands, and then blew out a sigh.

"I just want them to be happy," she muttered. There was a beat of silence, but Payson thought nothing of it. Silence between them wasn't unusual, especially when Sasha was trying to formulate a response to something she'd said.

He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, his stubble scratching at her skin.

"That's why I love you, Payson."

Payson was pretty sure her heart stopped beating. She was definitely sure she heard him wrong. He loved her? Surely he didn't mean it that way. It was one of those things that people threw around when someone did something particularly endearing. Except he hadn't sounded amused when he said it. It didn't sound like he was teasing her. He sounded more serious than she'd ever heard him.

"What did you just say?" She asked, sitting up and turning around to face him. Sasha's hands dropped from her shoulders to settle on her knees. Payson looked straight into his eyes, looking for something that said he didn't mean it, or was sorry he said it. But there was no hesitation in those blue eyes, no fear or regret. Only love.

Sasha reached up and took her face in his hands, bending down so that they were eye to eye.

"I love you, Payson," he said slowly. Payson's breath hitched in her throat.

"I love you too," she whispered.

Then he was kissing her. It was not a sweet kiss, it was a thorough branding. As Sasha swept his tongue inside her mouth, stepping up between her knees and pressing her body close to his, he claimed her as his own. There would be no visible mark, but Payson knew that the brand on her heart was as real as the tattoo on Sasha's hip.

Payson's hands fisted into the material of his shirt, just above his hips, as the force of his kiss rocked her backwards. She felt herself spiraling out of control, something she normally hated, but it was different with Sasha. She knew he would be there to catch her, to keep her safe. So she happily surrendered.

There was something different about their kisses now, as though saying the words they'd both been feeling lent a charge to their bodies that electrified them. Payson felt a shock run through her as his hands drifted down from her face, tracing the lines of her neck, brushing across her collarbone, skating over the tops of her breasts. She gasped as the electricity traveled straight to her heart.

Payson pulled his shirt free from his jeans and slipped her hands beneath it to trace the lines of his stomach. She felt the muscles clench under her touch and smiled against his lips.

Feeling a momentary rush of boldness, Payson let one hand drift lower, first stopping to play with the button on his jeans, and then lower still. Sasha froze when she cupped him, his lips still against hers.

"Payson," he said, half groan and half whimper. Payson removed her hand and stood to whisper in his ear, raking her teeth against his earlobe as she did.

"Sasha, take me to bed."

"Payson, we can't…" Sasha said, though Payson didn't think he was very convincing. She pulled back and looked into his eyes so that he would know she was serious.

"Sasha, I love you and I want to be with you. I'm an adult, you're an adult. We can."

She watched as Sasha wrestled with himself. The coach in him was fighting it, because he knew that once they crossed this line there really was no going back. But the man in him, the man who was desperately in love with her, wanted t give in. Payson waited to see which would win.

A kiss was her answer.

"I love you. God, I can't stop saying it," he muttered. He wrapped one arm around her back and slipped one beneath her knees, hoisting her into his arms and walking towards the bedroom. She smiled.

"Then don't. Because I love hearing it."

#

They were wrapped around each other, basking in the glow of so many firsts. Payson couldn't stop grinning as her hands continued to explore his body. She couldn't get enough of him, of the feel of his skin against hers, of the look in his eyes as he moved above her, and the way he whispered her name when he came undone. She wanted to do it again, and again, and again, just so she could keep experiencing those moments.

"I keep meaning to ask you, what does this mean?" Payson asked, tracing her fingers over the two small Chinese characters tattooed on his pelvis. He looked down at her, very much like the cat that ate the canary with his arms folded behind his head.

"It means Renegade," he explained. That explanation, coupled with the slight fading that indicated it was years old, was enough. She remembered the press tossing around the words rebel and renegade when Sasha was competing in his prime; a hot headed young man with talent that couldn't be matched.

"I like it," she said. She leaned down and pressed a kiss over the ink filled scar. Sasha laughed softly, his fingers trailing up her back so that she shivered.

Payson looked at the clock, even though she didn't want to. It was past time for her to leave, but not so much that she couldn't explain it away to her parents.

"You have to go?" Sasha asked, following her gaze to the clock on his nightstand.

"Yeah." She slid from the bed, and pulled on her clothes as Sasha watched her. She could feel his eyes on her back and though she thought it should make her uncomfortable, it didn't. In fact, she kind of loved it.

"I love you," Sasha said, for the millionth time that night. Payson smiled and crawled across the bed to give him a kiss.

"I love you too. See you in the morning."

And then Payson set off for home, praying that her parents wouldn't notice a difference in her.

#

Payson's parents didn't notice a thing, but the next morning, Kelly sure did. As soon as she looked at Payson, her eyes went wide and she hurried over, grabbing Payson's arm and pulling her off to the side of the gym.

"You had sex!"

"What?" Payson asked, trying to feign shock. But it didn't work. Kelly just gave her an unimpressed stare.

"Don't lie to me," Kelly said. Payson sighed.

"Okay. Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, we had sex," Payson whispered, trying to make sure no one else heard them.

"Oh my God!" Kelly screamed. Payson clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Shh! Kelly! Are you trying to out us?" Payson snapped. Kelly blinked an apology and Payson lowered her hand. Immediately, Kelly pulled her into a hug.

"Are you okay? How was it? What happened? You have to tell me everything, Keeler," Kelly demanded. Payson looked around the gym, which was quickly filling up with athletes, and then pulled her towards the office. Sasha was outside talking to a few parents, so Payson knew they would have it to themselves for a few minutes at least.

"I'm fine. Better than fine," Payson promised, feeling heat rise in her cheeks as she blushed. "He told me he loved me."

"Before or after?" Kelly asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Before! God, Kelly. Do you want to hear this or not? So he told me he loved me because I was trying to get you and Kaylie to be friends again. And then I asked him to…and we did. And it was so amazing, Kelly," Payson said wistfully.

"Amazing, really?" Kelly asked, raising an eyebrow in doubt.

"Yes, amazing. I've been so worried for so long that it wouldn't be worth it, or that I…wouldn't be any good at it. I mean, I can't even do a sexy beam routine without wanting to die. But it really was amazing."

Kelly hugged her tightly, why Payson wasn't quite sure. It seemed like she was about to say something, but then there was a commotion in the gym and they were distracted. For a moment, Payson worried that Lauren had come back to train at the Rock, but that couldn't be it. There were no shrieks of Lauren's name, no happy squeals. Instead the gym was filled with an odd tension; part quiet awe and part shock. A current passed through the air.

"What the hell?" Kelly asked. Together they moved to the office window.

A new gymnast stood at the edge of the floor, talking to Sasha. Her back was to them, so they couldn't see her face, but they could see her dark hair pulled tightly into a ballerina bun. That, plus the Olympic rings tattooed on the back of her neck made them both gasp.

"What is she doing here?" Payson breathed.

Former Olympic All-Around Champion Lydia Jacobs was at the Rock.

"She's in a leo so she clearly plans on training," Kelly muttered.

"Yeah but, she retired after Beijing," Payson countered. Kelly just shrugged.

Sasha chose that moment to look up at the office. He caught her gaze through the glass and held it for a moment before turning his attention back to Lydia. Payson saw him hold up a finger, asking her to give him a minute. Then he climbed the stairs to the office and shut the door behind him.

"Sasha…" Payson started. He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the desk.

"Lydia Jacobs is planning to compete at Nationals. She's been quietly training at her home gym in Omaha for six weeks, but in this last week she wants some training around the gymnasts she'll be competing with," Sasha explained.

Payson frowned. There was a lot about this situation she didn't understand. First, why was Lydia trying to make a comeback so late in the game? As a former All-Around gold medalist, Lydia could waltz into Nationals without much comment from Marta Karoyli, but it wasn't wise. And with only six weeks of training under her belt, after three years out of the game?

"I don't get it," Kelly said, her voice flat.

"What's to get?" Sasha asked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "For the next week, Lydia will be training here. And if she goes to the Olympic Trials, she will continue to train here."

"There's no training to be done in just a week!" Payson exploded. "She's…she's making a joke out of this! We've been working on these routines for months! A year, even! We're all spending this week perfecting our routines, what's she going to do? Has she even choreographed them yet? She's been training for six weeks, Sasha!"

Payson rarely lost her cool. It was even rarer for her to lose it when Lauren was not somehow involved. But she couldn't stand this. Lydia wasn't taking this new Olympic bid seriously, and she was making gymnastics look like a joke, something someone could pick up in just a few weeks instead of years and year in the gym.

"This is bullshit," Kelly snapped. Sasha didn't even bother to chastise her, and Payson knew it meant he was at just as much of a loss as they were.

"There's nothing to be done about it," he finally said. "We can't turn away a former All-Around champion, the Rock can't handle that kind of negative publicity. She'll be training here for as long as she's in the running for the Olympic team. So let's go greet your new teammate."

Payson and Kelly followed him out to the floor like an executioner to the gallows. Neither of them had particularly looked up to Lydia, she always seemed not to take the sport as seriously as everyone else, and any respect they might have had for her vanished the second she walked through the Rock's doors.

"Hey girls!" Lydia cried. She bounced up to them, throwing her arms around them both. "I'm so excited to train with you!"

"Hey Lydia," Payson said. She tried to give the older girl a smile, one that would be warm and welcoming, but she had a feeling all she managed was a grimace.

At least she tried. Kelly didn't even bother. She just crossed her arms and gave Lydia her best evil-Kelly stare.

"Lydia," she practically growled.

"I'm so excited to work with you guys this week. It's going to be awesome, don't you think?" Lydia asked, her eyes already wandering the gym.

Yeah, Payson thought. Awesome.

**A/N: You guys, I am a terrible author. I've left this story alone for MONTHS, and I'm sorry about that. I just honestly was not in the mood to write it. I was uninspired, totally and completely. That, plus working on revisions of my original stuff plus a new original WIP just made it impossible to update. However, the events of the last two days (I won't give specifics in case some readers have yet to see/hear the news and I ask that no one leave spoilers in reviews either, just in case) inspired me BIG TIME. So hopefully that inspiration will keep coming. **

**Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed chapter 14 and who has favorite this story or put it on alert since my little hiatus. I really appreciate it. **

**Now that all that is out of the way, some actual stuff about the story. The tattoo Sasha is sporting, as well as its location, comes from the brilliant mind of JCI and is used with her blessing. Lydia Jacobs is a blending of a few real life gymnasts, it's probably pretty obvious who, and was inspired mostly by Nastia's eleventh hour bid for a spot on the Olympic team. Of course, Lydia is coming back later than Nastia did and in reality it would never happen that way, but I'm going with it for the drama. So don't focus on the real life logistics of it, and just enjoy the ride. **

**And with that, I end this super long author's note. I seriously can't thank you guys enough for reading. As always, leave me some reviews! **


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